Rand Paul explains how he would have stopped ISIS

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Thursday clarified how he would "destroy" ISIS were he president, saying in a Time op-ed that he would launch airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of a larger strategy.

Specifically, Paul said airstrikes were "the best way to suppress ISIS's operational strength" and aid America's allies in the region. In addition, he said he would arm Kurdish fighters in Iraq, help reinforce Israel's Iron Dome, and secure the U.S.-Mexican border. And notably, he said his strategy would be brought to Congress.

"Obama's decisions — from disengaging diplomatically in Iraq and the region and fomenting chaos in Libya and Syria — leaves few good options," he wrote. "A more realistic and effective foreign policy would protect the vital interests of the nation without the unrealistic notion of nation-building."

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That said, Paul's list of solutions for combating ISIS is strikingly similar to what President Obama has already done. In the past month, the administration has launched more than 100 strikes in Iraq, provided aid to Israel's Iron Dome, and directly provided arms to Kurdish forces.