Rand Paul tells Jewish leaders that ousting Saddam Hussein 'was a mistake'

Rand Paul thinks toppling Saddam Hussein was a mistake, and says so
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) met with about 30 Orthodox Jewish leaders at the Brooklyn, New York, headquarters of the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, and he raised some eyebrows with his thoughts on foreign policy. He criticized the decision by George W. Bush to invade Iraq, arguing that Iran has become more powerful without Saddam Hussein, and declared President Obama's toppling of Moammar Gadhafi an "utter disaster," The New York Times reports.

"It was a mistake to topple Hussein," Paul told the largely Democratic gathering, adding that along with strengthening Iran, "each time we topple a secular dictator, I think we wind up with chaos, and radical Islam seems to rise." He insisted he is "not an isolationist," and gave partial backing to Obama's nuclear deal with Iran: "The interim agreement that we are under now, while not perfect, is better than no agreement and no inspections."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.