Using the term “radical Islam” plays into the hands of the terrorists groups seeking to destroy western civilization, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in NYC Thursday morning, Clinton dismissed the “obsession” of Republican presidential candidates talking about a “clash of civilizations” in the Islamic world or repeating the the “Radical Islamic Terrorism.”
Repeating the specific words ‘Radical Islamic Terrorism’ is not just a distraction, it gives these criminals, these murderers, more standing than they deserve and it actually plays into their hands by alienating partners we need by our side.”
“Our priority should be how to fight the enemy,” she said. ” But we still can’t close our eyes to the fact that there is a distorted and dangerous strain of extremism within the Muslim world that continues to spread.”
During her speech, Clinton outlined a comprehensive plan that deals with the situation in Syria and Iraq and focuses on the purpose of defeating ISIS before they hit home. She also included the need to counter Iranian influence across the region and its support for terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas. “We cannot view Iran and ISIS as separate challenges,” Clinton stressed. “Regional politics are too interwoven. Raising the confidence of our Arab partners and raising the costs to Iran for bad behavior will contribute to a more effective fight against ISIS.”
And as we work out a broader regional approach, we should of course be closely consulting with Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East,” the former Secretary of State added. “Israel increasingly shares with our Arab partners and has the opportunity to do more in intelligence and in joint efforts as well.”
