http://thehill.com/policy/defense/231392-graham-10k-us-boots-on-the-ground-needed-to-stop-isisGraham: 10K US boots on the ground needed to stop ISIS in Iraq
By Kristina Wong - 02/01/15 11:50 AM EST
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is considering a 2016 presidential bid, said on Sunday it would require 10,000 American "boots on the ground" to stop the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq.
Coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria won't destroy the group, but do help in some regard, Graham said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
In Syria, there needed to be a regional force on the ground to dislodge ISIS, Graham said.
He said ISIS presents the biggest terrorist threat to the U.S. since 9/11 and, if not stopped, "you'll see a Paris on steroids pretty soon."
On the 2016 presidential race, Graham said, "I believe I'm the best qualified offer an alternative to failed foreign policy of Barack Obama."
Graham pushed back against the notion that his views were not conservative enough. For example, conservative commentators have attacked his stance on immigration reform, calling him "Lindsey Grahamnesty."
But Graham said he believed illegal immigrants being paid low wages under the table presented the real threat to American middle-class wages.
In addition, Graham said he would nominate Rep. Trey Gowdy (S.C.) as a Supreme Court justice, an opponent of President Obama's immigration reform efforts.
