Washington (CNN)Republicans are sensing that a world seemingly spinning out of control could give them an opening to reclaim their traditional strength on national security issues heading into the 2016 presidential election. Even before terrorists killed 12 people at a Paris magazine this week, Republicans were fine-tuning an assault on President Barack Obama's foreign policy as timid and naive, and stumbling everywhere from the deserts of Syria to the Kremlin in Moscow. But one of the brothers who carried out the Paris strike spent several months in Yemen in 2011, according to U.S. officials, receiving weapons training and working with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. That could undermine Obama's proud claim of dismantling al Qaeda's "core" and put Democrats on the defensive -- especially Hillary Clinton, who carried out the President's foreign policy as his first-term Secretary of State.
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Republicans believe world turmoil undermines Obama
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But GOP yet to resolve its own argument on national security
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Bush, Rubio, slam Obama approach
Barack Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Six years into (the) @placeholder administration, it is difficult for President Obama to blame that on anybody but himself."
Democrats
Until 2008, Republicans enjoyed a perception among voters for several decades that they -- and not @placeholder -- were best suited to lead America's national security policy.
U.S.
Until 2008, Republicans enjoyed a perception among voters for several decades that they -- and not Democrats -- were best suited to lead @placeholder's national security policy.
Democrats
Don't tell me that @placeholder won't keep us safe," Obama told Americans as he accepted his party's 2008 nomination.
U.S.
Broadly, the establishment Republican critique of Obama is that far from his promise to reestablish @placeholder leadership, he has instead presided over an era of disengagement from the world.
U.S.
And they claim that Obama's deliberate -- critics would say hesitant -- brand of global leadership on issues like Syria has deepened the global crisis and abdicated @placeholder leadership.
Republicans
Republicans
Republicans
GOP
There is little public appetite for the era of intervention that characterized Bush's presidency and @placeholder face the task of winning back public trust.