Sen. Rand Paul Slams Saudis, Urges Muslims to 'Step Up'

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says Saudi Arabia has "aided and abetted the rise" of the Islamic State (ISIS) as he urged Muslim countries to "step up" to fight the growing threat from the terrorist group.

On Fox News' "Hannity," the Republican senator said the United States will need Muslim nations as allies in the region to destroy the militants.

"Ultimately, civilized Islam will have to step up," Paul said, while blaming Saudi Arabia for backing the ISIS insurgency in its early formation.

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"They have to step up, because frankly they have been allowing too much of this to go on," Paul said, referring to Middle East countries allowing religious fanatics to form terror organizations.

He continued, "We need to do everything we can to protect ourselves. I'm all in for saying we have to combat ISIS. So I think it is important not only for the American public but for the world and for the Islamic world to point out that this is not a true form of Islam, this is an abhorrent form."

Paul said President Barack Obama made "one important point" during his address to the nation when he said that ISIS is not Islamic nor a state, noting that the terror group is not a "true or accurate depiction of Islam."

But Paul then slammed the president's foreign policy, saying the country is "absolutely not" safer under his administration, as Obama had suggested in his speech Wednesday night.

"Libya is a disaster," Paul said. "Libya is a jihadist wonderland. The jihadists are swimming in the embassy swimming pool."

Paul also urged Obama to ask Congress for authorization for any military action in Iraq and Syria, while questioning whether the president had adhered to the Constitution when he used his executive powers to order airstrikes against the militants.

"This is an intervention, and I don't always support interventions, but this is one I do support," the libertarian-leaning senator said. "But I think the president would be more powerful, the country would be more united — he should've come before a joint session of Congress, laid out his plan as he did tonight, and then called for an up or down vote. It is unconstitutional, what he's doing."


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