Ben Carson calls for boots on the ground to fight Islamic State

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Times, Ben S. Carson said radical Islamic terrorists threaten the United States, and he called for boots on the ground to defeat the organization.

“We have to — first of all be able to identify them, who they are — but we have to recognize that right now, they’re sort of in an adolescent stage. If we continue to let them grow, they will be in a full-grown adult stage and able to inflict more damage.”

The retired neurosurgeon and possible presidential candidate said U.S. air support alone isn’t recognizing the real danger America faces from the Islamic State.

“This is much more dangerous than Saddam Hussein or al Qaeda was a decade ago, and if we don’t get rid of them, we are going to be fighting them over here — they’re going to have boots on the ground over here,” he said.

Mr. Carson also separated himself from former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton — a potential Democratic presidential nominee — by saying his biggest strength if he were to run against Mrs. Clinton is that he isn’t her.

“I actually believe that if we have a consulate or an embassy and we have people there in danger — I actually think I would protect them. I think I would send them the security they needed and certainly if they were under attack, I wouldn’t say ’that’s too dangerous, too bad’ — I would never leave our people stranded,” Mr. Carson said.

“I’m not sure that being secretary of state has given her any advantage at all if you use that position in a negative way.”