On the American-led military actions against ISIL in Syria , Clinton advocates going further than what President Obama has done in terms of the air campaign and support for local forces . Clinton has also proposed a no-fly zone in northern Syria , enforced by the U.S. and allies , that would provide a humanitarian buffer zone ( or " safe haven " ) that would protect civilians fleeing the Assad regime and ISIL . Clinton has also called upon the Arab states of the Persian Gulf to stop funding terrorist groups , saying : " Once and for all , the Saudis , the Qataris and others need to stop their citizens from directly funding extremist organizations . " At the beginning of his administration , President Obama sought to improve relations with Syria . He returned the U.S. ambassador to the country ( who had been withdrawn by the Bush administration following the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister ) and a number of congressional delegations visited the country . Appearing on '' Face the Nation '' on March 27 , 2011 , Secretary of State Clinton said " There 's a different leader in Syria now . Many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he 's a reformer . " After members of Congress and the media criticized her statement , she said " I referenced opinions of others . That was not speaking either for myself or for the administration . " Upon investigation , '' The Washington Post '' Fact Checker found no evidence that any Republicans has made statements to support Clinton 's statement and concluded : " In fact , Clinton 's remarks gave a highly misleading impression — that there was general consensus by experts on Syria in both parties that Assad was a reformer , even though Clinton 's own State Department reports label him otherwise . " Following the 2016 Brussels bombings , Clinton said : " We need to work with the brightest minds of Silicon Valley to more effectively track and analyze ISIS ' social media and map jihadists ' networks online . " Clinton criticized several Arab states of the Persian Gulf in June 2016 for their funding of terrorism , saying : " It is long past time for the Saudis , the Qataris and the Kuwaitis and others to stop their citizens from funding extremist organizations . And they should stop supporting radical schools and mosques around the world that have set too many young people on a path toward extremism . " The Associated Press describes her rhetoric as " a window into how a President Clinton might approach the combustible , complex Middle East : polite but harsh truth-telling , with specifics , delivered as if among friends . " It was reported in 2010 that Clinton in leaked diplomatic cables described donors in Saudi Arabia as the " most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide "
2016 Brussels bombings
2016 Brussels bombings
Political positions of Hillary Clinton