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Senor: 'We Want to be Presenting a Credible Threat of Military Force'

September 9, 2013

Former Romney advisor Dan Senor reminded those opposing military force in Syria because of lack of trust in President Obama that they would thus have to oppose any military force for the remainder of his presidency Sunday on This Week, hurting U.S. ability to put pressure on Iran's nuclear program.

"If they're saying they don't have confidence in him to execute, what message does that send to Tehran?" he asked. "We want to be presenting a credible threat of military force in order to get them to stop their nuclear program."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You have seen a lot of Republicans who have supported military action in the past just taking a pass here, saying no way they're going to support the president.

SENOR: There's basically two camps within the Republican world right now, Republican universe. One is sort of the Rand Paul camp, loosely defined, isolationist, doesn't want to be engaged in the world period. No matter what Obama says, they can't be moved. There's another camp, which has been supportive of engagement in the world, but they say they don't trust Obama. They don't have confidence in him. They don't think he's competent. And the problem with that argument is it means that they're not going to be able to be for any kind of military force anywhere for the next three years. President Obama is our Commander in Chief for the next three years. If they're saying they don't have confidence in him to execute, what message does that send to Tehran? We want to be presenting a credible threat of military force in order to get them to stop their nuclear program. what do you think they're seeing when the Congress' dysfunctionality prevents the president from acting.

Published under: Middle East , Video