In the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks, the presidential election 2016 candidates from both political parties have outlined their plans to fight the terrorist group ISIS.
Here are what some of the leading hopefuls have said they would do if in charge:
- GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump believes the U.S. military and its allies should target oil fields controlled by ISIS. Trump asserts ISIS gets most of its money to fund its terrorist operations from selling oil. Trump also said he'd turn away Syrian refugees and "strongly consider" shutting down mosques to prevent terrorism in the United States, according to a CBS News report.
- Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson wants to use "every resource available" to defeat ISIS. Carson also thinks negotiating a cease-fire in Syria would help dissolve ISIS' influence there. Carson was criticized recently for comparing Syrian refugees to "rabid dogs," saying the United States needs to have a "database" of every person coming into the country, according to CBS News.
- GOP establishment presidential candidate Jeb Bush said he would add 40,000 active soldiers to the Army and have a total of 186,000 Marines to combat ISIS, according to CBS News. The former Florida governor also wants to restore the power of the National Security Agency (NSA), reinstating some of the abilities granted to the controversial institution under the Patriot Act. Bush believes there should be a no-fly zone in Syria to protect Syrian refugees. Bush had a mixed response when asked whether he supports Syrian refugees in the United States, according to Breitbart. Recently, he said the U.S. should focus on admitting the refugees that are Christians, Breitbart reported.
- GOP establishment favorite Marco Rubio believes the United States needs to increase air support and special operations units in ISIS-controlled regions. The Florida senator wants the U.S. military to form a coalition with Sunni soldiers who are fighting ISIS. Rubio also wants to restore the reconnaissance powers of the NSA to closely monitor domestic terrorism threats. Rubio said that the United States should limit its intake of Syrian refugees, according to Politico.
- Former HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) CEO Carly Fiorina believes the U.S. should go to war with ISIS. Her strategy involves cutting off ISIS' supply lines and money. Fiorina also wants to stop Syrian refugees from entering the United States.
- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz believes the U.S. should formally declare war against ISIS while supporting existing Kurd forces in ISIS-controlled regions. He also called on Congress to pass the Expatriate Terrorist Act, a bill that would permit the U.S. government to take away citizenship from any terrorist group supporters, according to CBS News.
- Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton believes the U.S. military should fight ISIS with air strikes on the group's bases in Iraq and Syria. Clinton wants a no-fly zone in Syria to protect Syrian civilians and refugees. Clinton said she supports refugees coming into the United States, but only after extensive background checks, according to a Politico report.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said he would build a global coalition to attack ISIS, according to CBS News. Sanders wants the coalition to include Western powers, but also some countries the U.S. has had a tenuous history with, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Sanders supports Syrian refugees coming to the United States.
In Other Election 2016 News...
- Clinton expanded her lead in Iowa and New Hampshire, according to a recent CBS News The poll has Clinton ahead of Sanders by 6% in Iowa and 7% in New Hampshire.
- Trump continues his surge in the polls after the Paris attacks. A five-day rolling Reuters/Ipsos presidential poll has Trump jumping 16 percentage points among Republican voters since Nov. 6. The poll shows Trump capturing 42% of Republican voters, while Carson's popularity slipped slightly.
Stay tuned to Money Morning for more on the 2016 presidential election. You can follow us on Twitter @moneymorning or like us on Facebook.
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