Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said today that the United States' plans to arm the rebel opposition in Syria in order to take on ISIS is "a mistake," in an interview that was broadcast live today, Sept. 15, 2014 on CBS THIS MORNING (7:00-9:00 AM) on the CBS Television Network. Watch the appearance below!
"It's a mistake to arm them. Most of the arms we've given to the so-called moderate rebels have wound up in the hands of ISIS because ISIS simply takes it from them, or it's given to them, or we mistakenly actually give it to some of the radicals," Paul told co-hosts Charlie Rose, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King.
He added that previous United States
INTERVENTION in Syria "has created a safe
HAVEN for ISIS and has made our problem much more difficult."
Paul also discussed his plans for 2016, telling
CBS THIS MORNING that he wants to be seen as "a different kind of Republican" in terms of reaching out to new people. He added that while he's still undecided about a presidential run in 2016, he'll continue to travel in the next year to "try to grow the party enough to help us win in 2014."
A partial transcript of the interview follows:
CHARLIE ROSE: The sudden advance of ISIS across Syria and Iraq is forcing officials around the world to rethink their views of the Middle East. One prominent American who's taken a second look is Republican Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky. He's with us now from Capitol Hill. Senator, good morning. Tell us how you have changed your views.
SEN. RAND PAUL: I think the interesting thing is that as world events changes, obviously you change your analysis. So five years ago, ISIS wasn't a threat, but I did say even as much as two to three years ago that it was a threat to give arms to them in Syria. So I think had the President had his way, or had Hillary Clinton had her way, we may well have had ISIS in power in Damascus now because they've been arming and creating a safe
HAVEN for them. As it is, I think ISIS is more of a threat to us now as because of the arming of the Islamic rebels in Syria.
ROSE: Have you changed your views on aid to Israel?
PAUL: I've always said that we shouldn't give foreign aid to anyone if we don't have it. Basically, I've always thought it was a bad idea to borrow money from China to send it to any country. But I've also always said that as we begin to pare down, and I am for reducing foreign aid and ultimately eliminating it, why don't we start with the countries that are burning our flags? I would start with our enemies and the enemies of Israel, but I've also taken the same view that Netanyahu has taken about foreign aid, that even Israel someday should be independent of it.
NORAH O'DONNELL: Senator, the front page of The Washington Post has a piece about what they call your "evolving views" on some foreign policy issues and pointing out that in June, when asked about airstrikes in ISIS, you said "I'm not sure where the clear-cut American interest is." Now you're criticizing the President, saying he should have acted more decisively. Now you support U.S. airstrikes. So let me ask you, what is our clear-cut American interest there?
PAUL: What I would say is that I have always said that the President is required by the Constitution to come to Congress. So since the beginning of my public life, I've always said Congress declares war, not the President. The President used to agree with me. It's actually the President who has changed his position. Back when he ran for office, he said that no president should unilaterally go to war without the consent and the authority of Congress. I still maintain that view and always have maintained that view.
Chris Licht is the Vice President of Programming,
CBS News, and Executive Producer of
CBS THIS MORNING.
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