The only two people not remaining mindful of the Brussels
attacks, the ongoing police activities, and the implications for
homeland security here in this country are two of the candidates
campaigning to lead us. This should be cause for pause and reflection
on the part of anyone considering voting for them.
After rattling
off, in the wake of the attacks, their slash-and-burn plans for
defeating ISIS, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz moved on to occupy themselves
with attacks that seem, to them, to be much more crucial: personal
accusations that have made their way to tabloids.
To
hear Ted Cruz today, the rhetoric of outrage and indignity indeed
would be appropriate to a terrorist attack - a level we did not hear
from Cruz after the actual bombings. Trump's responses about not
knowing are equally disconcerting.
Someone should do a corpus search of his speeches, interviews, and press conferences for [negatives+know].
It appears Donald Trump knows nothing about anything and represents an
unfortunate throwback to the Know Nothings of the 1840s and 50s who
sought immigration abatement. Why would anyone vote for that?
Hillary
Clinton, meanwhile has delivered a major address and held a round table
on homeland security in the days since the attacks while the two top
Republican guys squabble about personal jabs and tabloid scandals of
questionable sourcing.
Can you imagine what Hillary's campaign would
look like if she concerned herself with tabloid stories? Can you fathom
what critics would be saying about her?
Hillary soldiers on with a
real and doable plan to protect us all and keep us safe from true
danger and terror. Hillary's story is not among the headers on The
Nightly News this evening. The Trump-Cruz story is. What a sad
testament to the duty of the press to inform voters.
Here is Hillary Clinton's response to the true outrage of the week.
“If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin.”
Tuesday’s
terrorist attacks in Brussels were a horrifying reminder that the fight
against ISIS and radical jihadist terrorism is far from over. Keeping
us safe at home and defeating ISIS and global terrorism abroad are going
to be some of the biggest challenges facing our next
Commander-in-Chief. And that’s why we need to elect a president who’s
prepared to do all parts of the job from day one.
Hillary Clinton
responded to the Brussels attack, explaining her plan to defeat ISIS and
the global terrorist movement, and sharing her vision for the role that
America and our allies must play in the fight against terrorism around
the world. Here’s what you need to know (and you can read her full
remarks here).
1. The threat of terrorism knows no borders—and we aren’t going to stop it with a wall.
In
the past year alone, terrorists have attacked transportation hubs in
Brussels, a nightclub and restaurants in Paris, a office holiday party
in San Bernardino, a hotel in West Africa, a beach resort in Tunisia, a
market in Lebanon, a Russian passenger jet in the Sinai—and too many
other places. The threat of terrorism in the 21st century is real,
urgent, and borderless.
As Hillary said, “Walls won’t protect us from this threat. We can’t contain ISIS—we must defeat ISIS.”
2.
ISIS and terrorist groups like them are constantly adapting and
operating across multiple spaces, so our response needs to be just as
nimble and far-reaching.
Today, ISIS controls a sizable (yet
shrinking) territory in Iraq and Syria—but it also leads a wider network
that reaches across the Middle East and North Africa and into Europe,
Asia, and North America and includes other terrorist groups. To win the
war against global terrorism, Hillary argued that we have to do battle
on each of these fronts.
And she has a plan to do that:
Hillary’s
plan calls for taking out ISIS’s stronghold in Iraq and Syria by
intensifying the current air campaign, stepping up support for local
forces on the ground, and pursuing a diplomatic strategy to resolve
Syria’s civil war and Iraq’s sectarian conflict between Sunnis and
Shias—both of which have contributed to the rise of ISIS.
But we
also have to dismantle the global terror network that supplies money,
arms, propaganda, and fighters. That doesn’t just mean going after
enablers who help jihadist terrorists with things like travel and
document forgery—it also means denying them virtual territory by discrediting their ideology online and stopping their digital recruitment strategies.
And
hardening our defenses and building our resilience at home will help us
discover and disrupt plots before they’re carried out. That requires an
intelligence surge, including partnering with Silicon Valley to track
and analyze ISIS’s social media posts and map jihadist networks online.
As Hillary said, “The tech community and the government have to stop
seeing each other as adversaries and start working together to protect
our safety and our privacy.”
3. Our alliances have been core pillars of American power for decades. They should be reinforced, not abandoned.
America’s
alliances make us stronger. Hillary argued that turning our back on our
European allies who are on the front lines of the war on terror would
be dangerous and foolish, and it would send the wrong signal to our
friends and our foes. “Putin already hopes to divide Europe,” Hilary
said. “If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the
Kremlin. It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous.”
What
Republicans like Trump don’t understand is that we need Europe. We need
European intelligence and diplomacy, European banks fighting terrorist
financing, European aircraft flying missions in the Middle East, and
European special forces helping train and equip local forces fighting
ISIS.
In fact, we need Europe to do more—and that’s why
Hillary called on our European partners to take more steps to stop the
flow of foreign fighters to and from the Middle East. Knowing the
identities of every fighter with a European passport who makes the trip,
revoking passports and visas, and sharing information in real time is
essential in this fight. So is a commitment by countries like Belgium to
identify and invest in the neighborhoods, prisons, and schools where
terrorist recruitment happens.
4. Despite what Republican
candidates for president say, we need to rely on what actually works—not
on what makes a catchy sound bite or riles up the base.
Take it
from our nation’s former chief diplomat: Bluster doesn’t work—we can’t
just “carpet bomb” populated areas “into oblivion,” as Ted Cruz has
suggested. Bigotry is also an unacceptable response: Hillary pointed out
that it’s just as dangerous to promote offensive, inflammatory rhetoric
that demonizes all Muslims—the very people who are most likely to
recognize the warning signs of radicalization before it’s too late and
who are in the best position to block it. And torture—a tactic promoted
by Donald Trump—puts our troops and civilians at greater risk. That’s
why Hillary pledged that if she’s elected president, she will never
condone or practice torture anywhere in the world.
So what does
work? Smart, strong, steady leadership from the United States. As
Hillary said, “No other country can rally allies and partners to defeat
ISIS and win the generational struggle against radical jihadist
terrorism. Only the United States can mobilize common action on a global
scale in defense of our peoples and our values. And that’s exactly what
we need to do.” Read more about why Hillary Clinton is the ONLY smart choice >>>>
Voters
need to ask themselves which type of attacks are personal to them: the
verbal kind that target individuals related to a campaign or the
ballistic kind that killed Americans and others in Brussels this week.
The impact of the terrorist attacks in Brussels was so powerful that it
knocked a primary/caucus Tuesday off the 24/7 axis for all but a few
hours relegating the results to something of a page 2 status. If they
were going to remain relevant at all, the candidates were going to have
to make statements on the topic, and so they did.
Hillary Clinton issued a statement and quickly went about arranging to deliver a major addresson
the issue at a university noted for its foreign policy and political
science programs. She was introduced by a past ambassador /faculty
member. Former cabinet members were in the audience along with notables
from Silicon Valley.
Bernie Sanders also made a statement.
Ted Cruz proposed police patrols in Muslim neighborhoods (without
knowing how many Muslims there are in the United States) while Donald
Trump allowed that Salah Abdelsalam would have been talking a whole lot
more quickly if authorities had only water-boarded him, part and parcel
of Trump's pro-torture platform plank and corollary to the "good guy
with a gun" principle.
And that was that.
By
this morning, two days after attacks so devastating that survivors
cannot be identified due to the extent of their injuries, the
Republicans succeeded in pulling their campaign to an all-time nadir.
In much the same way that 5th graders frame insults in terms of "your
mama..," the Trump-Cruz battle raged on in puerile commentary about
their respective spouses. Cruz, who likes to couch comments in movie
references, did his best imitation of Bugs Bunny imitating John Wayne.
The challenge was issued. It was pretty much the equivalent of a
triple-dog-dare. Typical middle school strategy when you didn't study for the test.
It's about what? Foreign policy? Food fight in the
cafeteria! So much for ISIS, Belgium, and terrorists.
Hillary
Clinton remained on topic. At the University of Southern California in
Los Angeles, she held a homeland security round table with Muslim
community leaders. Apparently she does intend to find out what we can
all do to keep each other safe and secure.
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a roundtable with
Muslim community leaders at the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, joined by Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti, left, and President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council
Salam Al-Marayati, right, speaks during a roundtable with Muslim
community leaders at the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets people in the audience
after participating in a roundtable with Muslim community leaders at the
University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 24,
2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton participates in a roundtable
with Muslim community leaders at the University of Southern California
in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. From left are, City of Los
Angeles General Manager, Emergency Management Department James
Featherstone, Senior Policy Analyst City of Los Angeles Human Relations
Commission & Adjunct Assistant Professor (CSUDH) Joumana
Silyan-Saba, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Clinton, and President of
the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Salam Al-Marayati (AP Photo/Carolyn
Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, joined by Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti, right, pauses as she talks to media after a roundtable
with Muslim community leaders at the University of Southern California
in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, joined by Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti, right, greets people in the audience after a roundtable
with Muslim community leaders at the University of Southern California
in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, joined by Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti, right, talks to media after a roundtable with Muslim
community leaders at the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photographs and greets
people in the crowd after a roundtable with Muslim community leaders at
the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Thursday, March
24, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
U.S.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attends a community
forum on counter terrorism and homeland security in Los Angeles,
California March 24, 2016. REUTERS/David McNew
Los
Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti looks on as U.S. Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a community forum on counter
terrorism and homeland security in Los Angeles, California March 24,
2016. REUTERS/David McNew
U.S.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton listens as Los
Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a community forum on counter
terrorism and homeland security in Los Angeles, California March 24,
2016. REUTERS/David McNew
Los
Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti introduces U.S. Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton during a community forum on counter terrorism
and homeland security in Los Angeles, California March 24, 2016.
REUTERS/David McNew
U.S.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a
community forum on counter terrorism and homeland security in Los
Angeles, California March 24, 2016. REUTERS/David McNew
Hillary spoke at Stanford University this afternoon.
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives with former United
States Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul to speak about
counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the Bechtel Conference
Center at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn
Kaster)
We
face serious challenges in the world—but Americans will not turn on
each other, turn on our allies, or turn away from our principles.
There were several dignitaries and former officials in the room. Hillary stopped and spent time with them after the speech.
Former
Defense Secretary William Perry, left , introduces Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to his son David Perry, right, as
former Secretary of State George Shultz stands second from left, after
Clinton spoke about counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the
Bechtel Conference Center at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. (AP
Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speak with President Ronald
Reagan’s former Secretary of State George Shultz after speaking about
counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the Bechtel Conference
Center at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn
Kaster)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks with former Secretary of
State George Shultz, right, and former Defense Secretary William Perry,
center, after speaking about counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23,
2016, at the Bechtel Conference Center at Stanford University in
Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
In this speech, Hillary referred specifically to two Republican candidates and their plans. She mentioned proposals by some Democrats, but did not mention Senator Sanders by name. He should afford her the same courtesy. Senator Sanders should stop attacking Hillary in his speeches and stop giving his audiences reasons to boo her. When Hillary mentions him, usually in primary night speeches, it is to congratulate him, not to criticize his policy and plans.
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