Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a twice-deployed Army veteran, is taking heat from liberals in the media for criticizing President Obama’s strategy to defeat Islamic State militants and the administration’s refusal to identify radical Islam as the enemy.
“Every soldier knows this simple fact: If you don’t know your enemy, you will not be able to defeat him,” Ms. Gabbard said, Fox News reported Saturday. “Our leaders must clearly identify the enemy as Islamist extremists, understand the ideology that is motivating them and attracting new recruits, and focus on defeating that enemy both militarily and ideologically.”
Ms. Gabbard, who is a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, told Fox that the administration’s fear of associating radical terrorist groups with the Islamic faith were “unfounded.”
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“I think recognizing and being very accurate and very specific and understanding this must be a core part of our strategy, to defeat those who seek to do harm to the American people is exactly how we must be looking at this issue and remain very focused on it,” Mr. Gabbard said, Fox reported.
But political experts in her home state have criticized the rising Democratic star for challenging a president from her own party, and worry she has jeopardized her prospects for re-election in one of the bluest states.
“While Gabbard is correct in her ‘emperor has no clothes’ moment, she may have lost her future seat on Hawaii’s political bench,” said Michael W. Perry, of Hawaii’s “Perry & Price” KSSK radio show.
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