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Donald Trump has criticised Barack Obama for pulling US troops out of Iraq too quickly and claimed that Iran had taken control of the world’s second biggest oil reserves.
Speaking in Ohio ahead of primary elections in five states on Tuesday , Mr Trump claimed that he had always been opposed to the US’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. He said he had warned it would destabilise the Middle East and that the rise of Isis was proof of that.
“Saddam Hussein was not a good person. Who cares,” Mr Trump said, speaking in a private hangar at the city’s airfield.
Mr Trump was introduced by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
(AP)
“He was very good at killing terrorists. Now, Iraq is the Harvard for terrorism.”
Mr Trump, who was introduced to the crowd of around 1,500 by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, said that Iran had stepped into the vacuum created by the withdrawal of most US combat troops.
Donald Trump's most controversial quotesShow all 14 1 /14Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didn’t know the air conditioner didn’t work and sweated like dogs, and they didn’t know the room was too big because they didn’t have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?"
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate."
Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?"
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money."
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Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again."
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“Iran is taking over Iraq. They’re taking over the second largest oil reserves in the world,” he said.
“I said ‘take the oil’ and they said ‘you can’t do that - it’s a sovereign country’. Sovereign country? These were corrupt people.
“Isis turned out to be a lot smarter than the people we backed.”
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