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Statement by Governor John Kasich Calling for the U.S. to Immediately Work with Allies to Destroy ISIS in the Wake of Paris Attacks

November 14, 2015

John Kasich Calls for the U.S. to Immediately Work with Allies to Destroy ISIS in the Wake of Paris Attacks

Today, in his second comments following the terrorist attacks in Paris yesterday, Ohio Governor John Kasich called on the United States to immediately work with our allies to destroy ISIS.

Today, Kasich issued the following statement:

"Yesterday evening's Islamic terrorist attack on Paris is an attack on us all.

"The victims of this attack and their families are in our prayers and deserve our heart-felt sympathy.

"America should offer our French ally every assistance in tracking down and eliminating the perpetrators of this abomination.

"As French President Hollande said, this is an act of war.

"Just as France did for us in aftermath of the infamous 9/11 attacks, we should invoke Article 5, the mutual defense clause, of the North Atlantic Treaty.

"After the events of Fort Hood and Chattanooga, here in the U.S., it is very easy to imagine that the tragic events that occurred in Paris last night could occur here, on our own shores.

"Last night I said these horrific events in Paris must serve as a wake-up call telling us that America and its friends and allies must become more aggressive in taking on ISIS, because our very way of life is under serious threat.

"America must strengthen its intelligence efforts to prevent such attacks – especially by terrorists who might already be here in America.

"We must immediately intensify intelligence collaboration with our allies in order to identify, track and apprehend all foreign ISIS fighters.

"To stem the flow of refugees into Europe, together with our allies, we must create protected safe havens for civilian refugees on Syria's borders and enforce them with no fly zones.

"As President, I would immediately summon an emergency meeting at the highest level to begin working with our European, Turkish, and Sunni Arab allies to contain and ultimately defeat ISIS in its homeland.

'Time is of the essence. We cannot afford to await the outcome of the Presidential election in a year's time before being able to act.

"I urge the President to get on this now – in a much more assertive and consequent manner than we have seen from his administration to date."

Kasich first addressed the terrorist attacks at a Town Hall in Laconia, New Hampshire last night. Video of those remarks can be found here.

Kasich first called for a coalition to destroy ISIS in early February.

In early October, he called for the creation of safe havens in Syria to protect civilians, enforced by no-fly zones.

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John Kasich, Statement by Governor John Kasich Calling for the U.S. to Immediately Work with Allies to Destroy ISIS in the Wake of Paris Attacks Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/313361

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