The Hill – May 28, 2015 – In an interview with the Fox News, Gov. George Pataki focused on foreign policy including on nuclear negotiations with Iran and the rise of Islamic militants in the Middle East.
“Iran is the No. 1 sponsor in the world of state terror,” he said, referring to the country’s support of forces in Yemen. He also voiced general opposition to the Obama administration’s push for a nuclear deal with Iran.
“I think it should be rejected, unless we can be absolutely certain it won’t put it on the path toward nuclear weapons,” Pataki said of the deal.
He said it is necessary to prevent groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from establishing recruiting and training centers to plan 9/11-style attacks on the U.S.
“If necessary, we will send in American boots on the ground,” Pataki said of defeating ISIS in Iraq, emphasizing it would not be a “a trillion-dollar war or nation-building” but instead quicker U.S. operations like a recent one taking out an ISIS leader in Syria.
Pataki noted being elected three consecutive times as governor in deep-blue New York.
His position as governor during 9/11 is highlighted heavily in the video, which ends with him seeming to look to the future while overlooking the World Freedom Tower.