2016 KS Senate race: on War & Peace

Patrick Wiesner: Protection of Iraqi oil reserves is a vital US interest

WIESNER: A bedrock value of Americans is that we help our allies. Iraq is an ally and now needs our help. Protection of their oil reserves is a vital interest. We first must recognize that we cannot expect that country to function as a democracy. They, historically, don't chose leaders by elections. Neither will they develop a western style free-market economy. The Middle East way of doing business is different than ours. The United States cannot let the terrorist ISIS army march into Iraq and seize the oil fields. If ISIS takes control of these fields, they will use that oil wealth to promote violence against us and our allies. I support use of our military to defeat ISIS wherever they are including in Syria, Libya, or Iraq.

Patrick Wiesner: It's up to the US to completely defeat ISIS

WIESNER: Complete defeat of ISIS is necessary. Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan, don't have economies strong enough to pay for the military and police forces required to control ISIS while at the same time providing for the needs of their own people. So it's up [to] the United States to stop ISIS; no other nations have this capability. After our troops give us victory, they can come home for good.