Rudy Giuliani said today that America’s national security weakened significantly after the Obama administration stopped openly referring to threats as “Islamic terrorism,” arguing that the change marked the beginning of a broader decline in counterterrorism efforts.
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Saturday Report,” the former New York City mayor discussed the recent arrest of a suspected Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operative accused of planning attacks in Europe, Canada and New York.
“Starting with Obama where we decided we’re not going to say Islamic terrorism and we literally put it in the back drawer, we’ve been deteriorating terribly,” Giuliani said while discussing the arrest of an alleged Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Card Corp. operative accused of plotting attacks in Europe, Canada, and New York.
Giuliani said the United States experienced its strongest period of security in the years immediately following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“There was a period after 9/11 where our security was the best in the world,” he said.
“People were always asking me, ‘Are we safer now since 9/11?’ I said, ‘You have no idea how safe we are,’ because they wouldn’t hear about all the attacks. We were sending them off left and right.”
He also credited President Donald Trump with improving security measures during his administration.
“Trump bolstered it for four years,” Giuliani said.
Despite his criticism of recent years, Giuliani argued that current law enforcement and intelligence efforts show signs of progress and improvement.
“It does show how good we are at catching,” he said.
“We’ve improved immensely and I don’t know if we’re back, we’re almost back to where we were in the post-9/11 [era].”
Giuliani described the recent arrest of the alleged terror suspect as an important success, warning that authorities believe the suspect was tied to a major Iranian-backed operation.
“It was a good thing,” Giuliani said, explaining that the suspect “was planning massive attacks.”
“This was not a small-time shadow,” he said. “This is a big-time Iran network.”
Earlier in the interview, Giuliani also addressed his personal health and said he has made a full recovery.
“I’m [in] really, really good shape,” he said while thanking Newsmax hosts and staff for their support during his recovery.
{Matzav.com}
