US Should Help Middle East Forces to Fight Radical Islam - Graham

US Senator and Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham said that the US should be building up and supporting regional forces in the Middle East to fight radical Islamists.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States should lend support to forces in the Middle East in order to fight radical Islam more effectively, US Senator and Republican presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham said at his presidential campaign announcement in South Carolina on Monday.

“We should be building up and supporting regional forces to go after them [radical Islamists],” Graham said.

On Monday, Graham, 59, announced in his hometown Central, South Carolina, his intentions to seek the Republican nomination for the US presidency.

The Senator explained his fear that the world is “falling apart” inspired him to run for the White House. “I want to be president to protect our nation that we all love so much from all threats foreign and domestic,” he said.

Iran poses the biggest radical Islamic threat to the United States, he added, because the Iranian government lacks moderates and is run only by extremists.

Graham also noted that the Islamic threat poses a grave danger to US ally Israel, and he would maintain a strong relationship with Israel if elected president.

Graham will challenge Republican candidates Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, Carly Fiorina and Rick Santorum for the presidential nomination.

Lindsey Graham has represented South Carolina in the US Senate since 2003.