WASHINGTON (AP) – Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders are outlining the steps on Thursday they would take to combat the Islamic State group, each making major speeches less than a week after the deadly attacks in Paris.
In New York, Clinton plans to offer her vision for “defeating ISIS and eliminating the immediate threats it poses,” her campaign said, describing a speech focused on homeland security and the role of U.S. leadership around the globe.
Sanders’ address at Georgetown University will be twofold: In a tribute to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he will describe the philosophical underpinnings of his belief in “democratic socialism.” But Sanders will also discuss the Paris attacks and how “the world community can defeat the Islamic State.”
The dueling speeches will delve into issues at the heart of the Democratic race for president and they underscore what Clinton views as a major advantage: Her readiness to be commander-in-chief as President Barack Obama’s onetime secretary of state.
But Sanders has tried to make foreign policy about judgment and frequently notes that unlike Clinton, he voted against the Iraq War and says that conflict opened the door to chaos in the region.