Republican Ben Carson watched his standing in presidential polls plummet after the terror attacks in Paris shifted the debate toward international affairs. He's now trying to claw his way back by burnishing his foreign policy chops.
The retired neurosurgeon told about 2,000 people at the Cobb Energy Centre he wanted more training for citizens to prepare for jihadist attacks - akin to the air drills conducted in schools and offices during the Cold War.
“We need to be thinking about how we train our people to be able to react appropriately when you get into a situation with extremists in order to save your life,” he said.
He also talked of the U.S. alliance with the Kurds to retake the Iraqi city of Sinjar from the Islamic State, lamented the terror group's grip on Mosul and recounted his visit to refugee camps in Jordan.
"I wanted to go over and see for myself the Syrian refugees, and to spend time with them," said Carson, who joined with other Republican candidates to oppose President Barack Obama's plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees.
“I asked the Syrians, what is your desire? All of them said they wanted to be resettled in their country. I didn’t hear one person say they wanted to move to America. And they said we could financially support Jordanians” and their system of refugee camps.
He urged Republicans to reject “humanitarian gestures” that he said would threaten U.S. security.
“Our government gives us false choices. They say we can either be cold, cruel and heartless or you can take thousands of these refugees out,” he said. “They never give us the third option, which is the best: Take care of them over there.”
Last week's deadly spree in San Bernardino, Calif. by a husband-and-wife team that the FBI says were "radicalized" by Islamic State should be enough to halt the debate over the policy, he said. (The suspects were not, however, Syrian refugees.)
“San Bernardino? That should be ending the conversation right there,” said Carson. “That has nothing to do with being anti-anybody. That has to do with common sense.”
Read more about Carson's visit to Atlanta - as well as Carly Fiorina's trek to town - by clicking here.
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