In what appears to be a response to the terrorist attack in Paris last Friday, Hillary Clinton will provided a detailed outline of her strategy to confront and fight the Islamic State in a speech she’ll deliver today. Some of the details have been leaked and it appears the emphasis of her plan will focus largely on building relationships with allies as a means to fight the jihadist group.
Report from CBS News:
In a speech here Thursday, Hillary Clinton will lay out a detailed plan to defeat the Islamic State and fight the broader threat of “radical jihadism” around the world.
The speech, announced by her campaign on Tuesday, is her direct response to the terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday which killed more than 120 people and left scores more critically injured. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has taken responsibility for the attacks.
“Our prayers are with the people of France tonight,” Clinton said at the Democratic debate on Saturday, “but that is not enough. We need to have a resolve that will bring the world together to root out the kind of radical jihadist ideology that motivates organizations like ISIS, a barbaric, ruthless, violent jihadist group.”
Clinton hinted at her Thursday speech that night, saying that she would soon outline how, as president, she would work closely with American allies in “Europe and elsewhere to do a better job of coordinating efforts against the scourge of terrorism.”
According to an aide, Clinton will lay out a three-part plan on Thursday to defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq and the surrounding region, “dismantle” the wider infrastructure used by terrorist organizations to train fighters and spread their message, and strengthen the U.S. and its allies’ defenses against terrorist threats at home and abroad.
When asked how she would address terrorism on the campaign trail, Clinton describes a coalition brought together through extensive diplomacy to wage a “focused and sustainable” effort against ISIS’ growing influence. The U.S., under Clinton’s plan, would provide air support, intelligence and reconnaissance to partner countries engaged in the fight against ISIS on the ground and, separately, focus on cutting off ISIS’ lines of financial support.
Americans are looking for tough, bold leadership on terrorism and foreign policy right now so Hillary Clinton will attempt to portray that by presenting making this speech today. Among the rest of the Democratic field, she’ll get the most attention on this and have the most credibility in the eyes of Democratic primary voters given her time as Secretary of State.
The Republican candidates have been delving into foreign policy to an extent at each of their debates, typically at odds with Hillary Clinton over the best path forward. Donald Trump has advocated stronger military response, as has Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. This will surely become a growing topic as we move into next year.
More details to come when the full Clinton plan is released later today.
