Former New York Gov. George Pataki, shortly after announcing his White House campaign
on Thursday, said he favors putting "boots on the ground," if necessary, to destroy the Islamic State's training and planning centers.
"I would provide the weapons, training and financial support to help those fighting on the ground — whether it is Kurds, Jordanians or Sunnis," Pataki told
Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program. "We cannot allow them to have recruiting centers, training centers and plans to attack us here in America."
"If necessary, we will send in American boots on the ground to destroy those training centers, destroy those planning centers and then get out," he said.
Pataki said the United States thought it was safe before the Sept. 11 attacks, because radical Islamic terrorists were located far away.
He is also concerned about the agreement the Obama administration is hammering out with Iran, which he called "the No. 1 sponsor in the world of state terror" that is "supporting the Assad government and Hezbollah to attack Israel."
It needs to be a major concern, he said, that the United States is not "putting Iran on the path of nuclear weapons."
Pataki entered the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, joining a crowded field of candidates vying to retake the White House for their party, with the announcement that it "is time to stand up, protect our freedom and take back this government,"
via a video posted on his website, georgepataki.com.
Pataki, who served three terms as governor from 1995 to 2006, has flirted with running for U.S. Senate or the presidency in past years. His website video and Fox appearance came ahead of his official announcement in Exeter, New Hampshire.
He told Fox on Thursday morning that he decided to run this time because he believes his "whole life" has prepared him for this moment, and he believes he has the ability to win.
"I believe the need to change Washington has never been greater," he told Fox. "If you believe in yourself and country and the unlimited potential of our future, you have to run."
Pataki said he is not worried about being an underdog in the GOP growing field. A
Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday put several GOP candidates and potential candidates in a dead heat, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tied at 10 percent each.
Pataki shrugged off that he did not register on the poll.
"It reminds me of running for governor," he said. "I believe in this country, I believe in our people, and I am optimistic we can overcome the odds as we have in the past."
The poll put Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Rubio as being the candidates closest to Democratic powerhouse Hillary Clinton, a former senator from Pataki's home state.
"I know I can win the election and that is why I am running," he said. "We need to appeal to the Republican base, yes, but to independents, conservative Democrats, minority groups, young voters."
Pataki told Fox he will run on a "reform agenda" and on growth, and said he is "optimistic about this race and this country."
He also told Fox that he would support authorizing a special prosecutor to examine the private email servers Clinton used while secretary of state and with the Clinton Foundation.
"No one is above the law, not even if you are a former secretary of state whose name is Clinton," he said. "The American people have the right to know and this should be investigated."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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