Dr. Ben Carson compared the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL or ISIS) to the fight against cancer in a speech delivered on Monday.
The remarks on foreign policy were made by Carson at the ‘National Security Action Summit II,’ held in Washington, D.C.
The Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon famous for performing the first separation of conjoined twins compared ISIL to a cancer that can’t be negotiated with.
"You can’t contain or negotiate or bargain with somebody who wants to destroy you," Carson told the audience. "We need to understand that…we may work with them from time to time, we may have treaties with them, but we must understand that when you look at their global goals it does not include having amicable relationships and coexisting peacefully with us, and unless we understand that it is easy to be duped."
Carson criticized President Obama for paying insufficient attention to Iran, expressed concern over China and said the United States should put Putin "back in his little box."
Carson also expressed strong support of Israel and said that America should develop natural resources at home so that the European Union will buy energy from the United States.
The event also featured video messages from Reps. Louie Gohmert (R.-Texas), Michele Bachman (R-Minn.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Former congressman Allen West shared a panel with former congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Pete Hoekstra.
Commenting on the inconsistencies of the Obama administration’s approach to defense spending, West said, "How insidious is it that we would want to take 500 million dollars and send it to moderate Syrian rebels at the same time that we are pink slipping our own men and women in the United States military?"
West also had strong words on the military’s controversial employment of strict rules of engagement in recent conflicts.
"We’re so concerned about winning the hearts and the minds of the enemy that we’re putting our men and women in horrible situations," West said. "In a firefight, [in] two or three seconds someone is going to die and when we’re telling our men and women that they have to wait to be fired upon: that is not a good strategy in any military operation."