Ted Cruz strikes at Obama foreign policy, doesn't rule out US ground forces against Islamic State

DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 24: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks to guests at the Iowa Freedom Summit on January 24, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. The summit is hosting a group of potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates to discuss core conservative principles ahead of the January 2016 Iowa Caucuses. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (2015 Getty Images)

WASHINGTON – Potential presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz blasted the Obama administration for failing to give arms to fighters in separate overseas conflicts.

The Texas Republican told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that Ukrainians need weapons to defeat Russian-backed rebels and Kurdish fighters. He also said he isn’t ruling out sending American ground troops to fight Islamic State militants.

“If need be, we should go that step. But it should be driven by the mission,” Cruz said, adding that, “We have a treaty obligation to stand with them.”

He said Iraqi Kurds have a good fighting force but need to receive arms more effectively from the United States, rather than through the central government in Baghdad.

Cruz, who was attending an international security conference in Munich, wants to use Kurdish fighters — known as the peshmerga — as the ground forces in combination with U.S.-led air strikes. He says those fighters are effective and ready.

He said the “Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy” of dropping a bomb here and there to fight Islamic extremists are seemingly for “photo-op” purposes.

“The path we’re on doesn’t make any sense,” Cruz said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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