(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
WASHINGTON: Republican US presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said he would like to "sit back" and watch as Russia continues air strikes in Syria suggesting it could be a "trap" that could bog down Moscow.
In comments aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week" Trump said he would not establish a no-fly zone over Syria as several other candidates including Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton have suggested.
"I think what I want to do is I want to sit back and... see what happens" Trump said before suggesting that the Soviet Union's war in the 1980s against Afghan mujahideen rebels "destroyed" the communist bloc.
"Now they're going into Syria there are so many traps there are so many problems. When I heard they were going in to fight ISIS I said 'Great let them'" the billionaire real estate mogul told the show.
Russia began conducting air strikes last week in Syria in what it said would be a prolonged bombing campaign against the Islamic State group or ISIS and other extremist groups.
But Western countries have said the strikes are targeting moderate rebel groups and are intended merely to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an ally of Russia.
Asked about the ongoing migration crisis spurred by fighting in Syria and Iraq Trump reiterated previous comments that he would send back refugees the United States has promised to take in claiming they likely included IS fighters.
He said he "saw the migration" and observed that most of those fleeing were "strong men" -- although "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos noted that half the refugees are believed to be children.
"We don't know where they're coming from we don't know who they are. They could be ISIS. It could be the great Trojan Horse" Trump said.
He added that the United States has "screwed up the Middle East so badly breaking up Iraq we have so destabilized the Middle East."
Of the migrants he said: "If I win for president they're going out... We are not going to take responsibility."
AFP