White House Defends Joe Biden On Islamic State Gaffes
The White House has defended recent political gaffes made by Vice President Joe Biden in relation to international policies regarding the Islamic State.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday that Biden had made a mistake in recent comments he made to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey for their role in stopping the spread of the Islamic State terrorist organization.
"The fact of the matter is the vice president is somebody who continues to be a core member of the president's national security team," Earnest said during a White House briefing when asked about Biden's recent comments.
"He is somebody who has decades of experience in dealing with leaders around the globe. And the president is pleased to be able to rely on his advice as we confront the variety of challenges that are so critical to American national security."
Biden has made apologies to both the UAE and Turkey after he recently said that the two Middle Eastern countries had contributed to the rise in terrorist groups like the Islamic State in Syria. Both the UAE and Turkey are currently aiding in the United States' fight against the Islamic State, and leaders from both countries have condemned Biden's comments as offensive and untrue.
While speaking to Harvard University students last week, Biden said that countries like Turkey and the UAE had provided "billions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons" to Sunni rebels fighting the Syrian government. The Sunni rebels later turned into terrorist groups like the Islamic State and al-Nusra.
Anwar Mohammad Gargash, foreign minister of the UAE, said that Biden's comments were "amazing and ignore the role of the Emirates in the fight against extremism and terrorism."
