WASHINGTON—Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders are outlining the steps on Thursday they would take to combat the ISIS 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 ISIS.”
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.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Thursday:
Defeat, Not Contain
Both Clinton and Sanders say the U.S. must defeat the Islamic State group, pivoting away from language used by President Barack Obama shortly before the Paris attack, when he said the militants’ capacity in Iraq and Syria had been contained.
While both candidates have called for an international coalition to fight the diffuse IS threat, they take different approaches. Clinton wants to set up a no-fly zone over northern Syria, saying it would create a safe area to address the humanitarian crisis. Sanders opposes a no-fly zone, arguing it could pull the U.S. into perpetual war.
Sanders is also open to U.S. partnerships with Iran and Russia in the fight against the IS group, a move that would be complicated by Iran’s ties to extremist groups and Russia’s connections to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
No Ground Troops
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said in a South Carolina address Wednesday that the U.S. should send more troops to the Middle East to fight the IS group. Clinton and Sanders both oppose that idea.
