GOP senators: Obama’s foreign policies ‘weakened’ US

Republican senators blasted President Obama for his “failed” foreign policies, particularly in the Middle East, for nearly an hour on Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) kicked off the Senate floor event, where seven other Republicans joined him.

{mosads}“The president has weakened the national security posture of the United States,” McConnell said. “He’s displayed an inflexible commitment to policy positions that would erode America’s standing in the world. And he’s refused to change course as circumstances have changed.”

McConnell criticized Obama for his policies with Russia, China, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

An extremist militant group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has taken over several major Iraqi cities, advancing to the outskirts of Baghdad. The administration has sent hundreds of troops to protect the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Republicans have blamed Obama, saying he ended the Iraq War too early. McConnell said Obama’s attempt to keep campaign promises to end wars has sacrificed gains in the region.

“The dogged adherence to withdrawing our conventional strength and sticking to campaign promises has created a more dangerous world, not a more stable one,” McConnell said. “President Obama’s withdrawal-at-all-costs policy regarding Iraq has proved deeply harmful to U.S. interests, and it ignores the tremendous sacrifices made by our service members.”

GOP Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), Richard Burr (N.C.), James Inhofe (Okla.), John Cornyn (Texas) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) joined McConnell.

McCain called on Obama to immediately use airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Burr urged Obama not to remove forces from Afghanistan the way he did in Iraq.

“Leaving Afghanistan before our work is done will not end the fight,” Burr said. “It will bring the fight to our doorstep here at home.”