Dem candidates call for destruction of ISIS

by Ben Kamisar - 11/14/15 9:35 PM ET

The three Democratic presidential candidates opened their second debate by calling for the destruction of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The debate is being held one day after deadly terrorist attacks in Paris killed more than 120 people. ISIS has claimed responsibility.

{mosads}”Leading the world, this country will rid our planet of this barbarous organization called ISIS,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in his opening statement at the debate.

Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of State under President Obama, concurred moments later where she framed national security as the chief responsibility of the next commander in chief, especially in light of the attacks.

“Our prayers are with the people of France tonight, but that is not enough. We need to have a resolve that will bring the world together to root out the kind of radical jihadist ideology that motivates organization like ISIS, a barbaric, ruthless violent jihadist terror group,” she said.

Sanders and Clinton differed, however, in that Sanders quickly moved from Paris to his standard stump speech on income inequality.

Clinton dedicated her initial comments to the war on terrorism.

“All of the other issues we want to deal with depends on us being secure and strong,” she said.

Martin O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland, emphasized that America must remember that “this is the new phase of conflcit and warfare in the 21st century.”

“There is no nation on the planet better able to adapt to this change than our nation,” he said. “We must be able to work collaboratively with others.”

Before the debate began, the candidates and the audience took a brief moment of silence for the victims of the attack.

Tags Bernie Sanders Democratic debate Hillary Clinton ISIS Martin O'Malley