Rand: 'Saudi Arabia Needs to Quit Funding Radical Islam'

[Matt Collins]

From a press release:

ICYMI: Sen. Paul: Saudi Arabia Needs to Quit Funding Radical Islam

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul discussed with the Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum earlier today his reaction to President Obama’s visit to meet the new king of Saudi Arabia, King Salman.


A Breitbart article covering Sen. Paul’s reaction can be found HERE. A clip of the interview and full transcript can be found below.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL ON FOX’S AMERICA’S NEWSROOM

TRANSCRIPT

MACCALLUM: Now, President Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia today, the President will formally meet with the new Saudi king, King Salman. He will pay his respects to their family after the death of King Abdullah. Very large U.S. delegation is there today to do just that and I am joined this morning by Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul who is on both the Foreign Relations and Homeland Security Committees, both very important posts given the state of the world. Senator, good morning. Good to have you with us today.

PAUL: Good morning. Glad to be here.

MACCALLUM: I’m curious about our thoughts about this meeting with King Salman and what you think in terms of what the President needs to express to him given the incredible volatile situation in Yemen and in some parts of the Middle East, given the ISIS factor?

PAUL: I hope he says to Saudi Arabia that we'd like them to help us and work with us instead of against us. I think a lot of the arms that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have poured into the Syrian war, the Syrian civil war have actually been hurting us. They have actually wound up in the hand of ISIS. So I hope the message to them is they need to be working against radical Islam. They need to quit funding radical Islamic schools in our country around the world and need to send ground troops in to help us fight ISIS.

MACCALLUM: It is such a complicated situation. I read this morning that a number of these groups, these radical Islamic groups were rejoicing over the death of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia, but we also know that Saudi Arabia was not happy with our stand in Syria. They obviously wanted to see us follow through on the belief that Assad must go. So there is some tension in this relationship. How would you repair it?

PAUL: Well I think that Saudi Arabia needs to realize that most of the radical Islamists in the war there, the ISIS, are Sunnis and we need to have people from the civilized world of Sunni Islam need to step up and that means Saudi Arabia. I think Saudi Arabia in 2013, 600 million tons of weapons were poured into the Syrian civil war and a lot of those were Saudi weapons and a lot of those wound up in the hand of ISIS. We’re now back there fighting against weapons some of them were ours and some of them were our allies. So Saudi Arabia needs to step up to be on our side and not be provoking the situation.

[wizardwatson]

Here's what I get from the interview.

Interviewer: So do you support Obama's illegal war in Syria to overthrow Assad?

Rand: Sure, yeah, but I'd like to make some minor and obvious political observations if I could to avoid that contentious issue.

[Sola_Fide]

America needs to stop funding radical Islam. Why don't we do it first and set the example for the rest of the world?

[Krugminator2]

Here's what I get from the interview.

Interviewer: So do you support Obama's illegal war in Syria to overthrow Assad?

Rand: Sure, yeah, but I'd like to make some minor and obvious political observations if I could to avoid that contentious issue.

Rand had a pretty big influence on public opinion in 2013 arguing against arming the rebels to fight Assad. I just watched the clip and don't see where his position has changed.

[Ronin Truth]

Perhaps the Saudis are just continually buying off revolution threats and coups.

[r3volution 3.0]

Here's what I get from the interview.

Interviewer: So do you support Obama's illegal war in Syria to overthrow Assad?

Rand: Sure, yeah, but I'd like to make some minor and obvious political observations if I could to avoid that contentious issue.

Here's what I saw:

Interviewer: "Would you like to comment on how Obama is soft on defense and/or exaggerate the threat of ISIS?"

Rand: "Bitch pleez, the US and Saudi created ISIS."

...and Rand has been 100% consistent in opposing any action against Assad.

[Suzanimal]

America needs to stop funding radical Islam. Why don't we do it first and set the example for the rest of the world?

This!!! Welcome back, Sola_Fide.

[Todd]

Maybe if Congress would release those classified documents, more people would know what Rands talking about.

[green73]

How about the US get the $#@! out of all these foreign lands?

[francisco]

Here's what I saw:

Interviewer: "Would you like to comment on how Obama is soft on defense and/or exaggerate the threat of ISIS?"

Rand: "Bitch pleez, the US and Saudi created ISIS."

...and Rand has been 100% consistent in opposing any action against Assad.

"You must spread some reputation around..."

[jmdrake]

Here's what I get from the interview.

Interviewer: So do you support Obama's illegal war in Syria to overthrow Assad?

Rand: Sure, yeah, but I'd like to make some minor and obvious political observations if I could to avoid that contentious issue.

Which interview was that? It's not in the one in the OP.

[Okaloosa]