24.06.2014 - 08:30 [ CNN ]

Sen. Rand Paul: „I‘m not willing to send my son into that mess“ on the crisis in Iraq

PAUL: ..now we have a chaotic situation. We have a vacuum. And I think one of the reasons why ISIS has been emboldened is because we have been arming their allies. We have been allied with ISIS in Syria. They have had a safe haven because we have been arming the rebels to keep Assad away from them.

And now they go back and forth. So I think our intervention in Syria has led precisely…

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: … Iraq.

CROWLEY: You know, it may have, Senator. But when one‘s sitting in the Oval Office, you have to think, what do we do now?

So, does – would a President Paul at this moment send U.S. advisers and say, go and see what we can do to help the Iraqi army? Would a President Paul say, I might do airstrikes?

PAUL: I think the first thing you would have to do is follow the Constitution. The Constitution says that Congress decides. The president doesn‘t have the unilateral authority to begin war.