Clinton laughed off those comments. She noted the status-of-forces agreement that began the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq in 2008, a deal negotiated by Obama’s Republican predecessor, President George W. Bush.
Clinton said more effort is required to prevent the radicalization of would-be ISIS operatives outside of the Middle East. She promised, too, to step up military action against the group.
“We also have to intensify our airstrikes against ISIS, and eventually support our Arab and Kurdish partners to be able to actually take out ISIS in Raqqa and their aim of being a caliphate,” she said, referring to the group's de facto capital in Syria.
“We're making progress. Our military is assisting in Iraq. And we're hoping within a year we'll be able to push them out of Iraq and really squeeze them in Syria. … I would also do everything possible to take out their leadership.”