Lindsey Graham warns of ‘another 9/11’ without change in strategy against Islamic State

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Monday that another incident akin to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks could occurred if the strategy against the Islamic State terrorist group does not involve a ground force component.

“Walking faster in the wrong direction is not redoubling your efforts. It’s just going the wrong way,” Mr. Graham said on CNN’s “New Day.”

Mr. Graham, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, and other 2016 Republican contenders have been calling for an aggressive response by the United States in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks that took place in Paris last week.

“In World War II, we went to Tokyo, we went to Berlin,” Mr. Graham said. “We should go as an international force, led by the region, the Arabs and Turkey, to destroy ISIL.”

“If we don’t change our strategy and come up with a ground component, there will be another 9/11,” he said.

Mr. Graham said he thinks the American people are willing to send American forces to Syria and Iraq “to protect the American homeland.”

“The American people are ready to take on radical Islam [because] they see it for what it is — a threat to our homeland and our way of life,” he said.

Mr. Graham also said stopping the inflow of refugees to the United States isn’t going to solve the whole problem and there are “about 20 different ways” to get into the country.

“Shutting that lane down does not protect us,” he said. “So anybody coming to America needs to be vetted and vetted well, but we can’t shut off Syria — people [are] being raped and murdered — but yes, ISIL can intermingle among refugees. They’re doing that. But there’s other ways for them to get here.”