Rand Paul: 'The president won't name the enemy but I will: It's radical Islam'

Rand Paul
(Image credit: Mike Stone/Getty Images)

Speaking at the Republican Leadership Summit in New Hampshire on Saturday, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul attacked the Obama administration's role in the 2011 toppling of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, calling the operation "a mistake," The Guardian reports.

"One thing that is probably true in the Middle East, every time we have toppled a secular dictator, a secular strong man, we've gotten chaos and the rise of radical Islam," the presidential hopeful said. "The president won't name the enemy but I will: it's radical Islam. Until we name it, we can't defeat them and I will tell you this: If I were commander-in-chief, I would do everything it takes to…defend the country against radical Islam."

Paul went on to criticize Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server as secretary of state, asking, "Is she sort of above the rules?"

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Read more on Paul's speech in New Hampshire, via The Guardian.

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.