Gary Johnson uses Aleppo slip to talk about Syrian refugees

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson made headlines with the Aleppo slip-up. But he’s owning that slip-up and he’s using the attention to highlight his position on Syrian refugees.

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“First of all, was I certain that an Aleppo day was going to occur? Yes,” Johnson told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “Am I certain there will be another Aleppo Day before this campaign is over with? I’m 100 percent certain that there will be another day also.”

“Syria was caused by us getting involved with regime change,” he said. “You could argue that Syria happened because we got involved in regime change in Iraq. In my lifetime, I cannot think of one example when we got involved in regime change and it turned out for the better … If I would have been president, we wouldn’t be having this issue to begin with.”

Syrian refugees and Washington

But as Johnson points out, America is dealing with the issue. The civil war in Syria has ravaged the country, leaving many without a home and seeking refuge in Europe and the United States. Washington Governor Jay Inslee has publicly, and controversially, supported and encouraged taking in Syrian refugees into the state.

Johnson, a Libertarian, agrees with Washington’s Democratic governor.

“There has to be a vetting that takes place,” Johnson said. “I think we have the resources and the intellect to accomplish that. You are talking about a horrible situation, but we bear responsibility for our share of why the whole refugee situation exists in the first place.”

“That is civil war,” he said. “Look, we see these atrocities going on, we feel compelled to do something. We go into a horrible situation, and at best, we reverse the tables and it’s just as horrible but it’s our folks in charge. Or in many cases, it’s actually worse … Let’s not downplay the atrocities that occur, but when we involve ourselves in regime change … we don’t make thing any better.”

As for the Aleppo snafu, Johnson said he is not shying away from talking about what happened.

“Look, I’m running for president of the United States; I should have known the question,” he said. “I was thinking in terms of an acronym … I think probably 90 percent of Americans don’t know what Aleppo is but they’re not running for president of the United States, and I am.”

MyNorthwest’s Eric Mandel contributed to this article.

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