Ben Carson in Jordan: ‘Great human tragedy’

President Barack Obama’s administration has said it will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States over the next year, a plan sharply criticized by many Republicans. “What I learned is that you’re going to get a different answer from everybody depending on what their slant is”, he said, reiterating his opposition to allowing any Syrian refugees to come to the United States.

Carson’s latest decision to take some time off the campaign trail and travel to refugee camps in Jordan, shows how wrong the media was to interpret his comments the way that they did.

Carson has warned, however, that without the ability to vet the coming refugees, it would not be wise for the U.S.to open up its borders further. Rather they want “to be repatriated to their homeland”. For many African Americans _ the vast majority of them Democrats _ there are two Carsons: one a genius doctor, and an inspirational speaker and writer who talks of limitless horizons, and the other a presidential candidate whose conservative politics have rocketed him to the top of the Republican primary polls.

“I leave Jordan knowing we need to get serious about ending the war in Syria”. “They want to go back to Syria – which doesn’t look possible – or they want to go somewhere else. And we should be doing all we can to engage in intelligent, civil discussion about our differences”, said Carson. They have complained that they are carrying an unfair burden while the worldwide communitys support has fallen short.An aid appeal of $4.5 billion for refugees in host countries in 2015 is only about half funded.

Speaking from neighboring Jordan where he met Syrians staying in temporarily facilities, Carson said he asked the refugees what the United States should do.

“And they’re putting in all kind of things that make life more tolerable”, Ben Carson continued. But I do know that the ISIS terrorists have said that if we bring refugees, that they would infiltrate them. “But you have to make progress as you go”.

He said his trip was “about fact-finding – about getting an opportunity to see firsthand without having things reinterpreted over something that is really important”.

The trip comes as Carson has faced harsh criticism about his lack of foreign policy expertise – as well as his strong stance against admitting Muslim refugees, some of whom he described as “mad dogs”, into the United States. Syrian refugees are largely barred from working legally and have to resort to informal, low-paying jobs if they can find employment at all. “We spent $3 billion on Halloween candy”. While arguing that the U.S. could do more to help, the Republican presidential candidate maintained that did not mean taking in more refugees. It also says the Syrians are subjected to greater scrutiny than any other class of traveler.