The Republican National Committee (RNC) criticized Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley over his comments linking the Islamic State militant group -- also referred to as ISIS and ISIL -- and climate change, but his campaign was quick to fire back.

During an interview on Bloomberg's "With All Due Respect," O'Malley said the collapse of Syria and the Islamic State's growth was due to climate change's effects.

"One of the things that preceded the failure of the nation-state of Syria and the rise of ISIS, was the effects of climate change and the mega-drought that effected that region," said the former Maryland governor said, noting it "wiped out farmers, drove people to cities [and] created a humanitarian crisis."

He added, "It created the symptoms, or rather the conditions of extreme poverty that has led now to the rise of ISIL and this extreme violence."

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus released a statement following the remarks, tying into the Iran nuclear deal, and called for fellow Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to comment.

"Whether it's the weak Clinton-Obama nuclear deal that paves the way for Iran to obtain an atomic bomb or Martin O'Malley's absurd claim that climate change is responsible for ISIS, it's abundantly clear no one in the Democrat Party has the foreign policy vision to keep America safe. Hillary Clinton should immediately state whether or not she agrees with these extreme comments," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

O'Malley for President Deputy Campaign Manager Lis Smith responded and welcomed Republicans who want a debate on either foreign policy or science.

"On both topics they (Republicans) are trapped in the past," said Smith in a statement. "They defend the wrong-headed decision to invade Iraq -- a war that cost thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars. When faced with cold, hard scientific facts, they bury their heads in the sand and deny the adverse effects of climate change on the planet. Is it any surprise that Donald Trump is leading the pack?"

"Martin O'Malley isn't running to repeat the mistakes of the past -- he's offering bold, new, and progressive leadership. And unlike the Republican Party, he is proud to believe in science," added Smith.

Smith referenced a New York Times report from last March that recounted the strong links between global warming and human conflict, specifically the drought in Syria and its factor in violence. Based on a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, evidence has shown Syria's 2007-2010 drought contributed to the country's conflict.

While Smith's references do not specifically address the Islamic State militant group, the topic of climate change has resonated with Latinos.

Based on polling data released in January 2014, conducted by Latino Decisions, 9 in 10 Latinos want the federal government to take action against climate change. Within the 9 in 10 Latinos, 68 percent of Republican Latinos said climate change was important.

More Latinas said the government should take on an important role in tackling global warming and climate change, with 92 percent, compared to males with 88 percent.

Latino Decisions co-founder Matt Barreto said action on climate change is a high priority for Latinos regardless of their age, income, political party affiliation or where they live.

"Here's an important message for our political leaders, and it cuts across party lines: Latinos intensely support taking action on climate change and fighting air pollution," said Adrianna Quintero, senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council and founder of Voces Verdes. "Latinos in the U.S. recognize the threat that climate change poses to the well-being of our families and the future of our community in this country and abroad, and want our leaders to solve it."

Clinton has reportedly made climate change among her priorities, based on closed-door discussions. She previously had private meetings with congressional lawmakers, and they acknowledged her commitment on the issue.

According to National Journal, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Clinton understands that there is a need to be progressive on issues such as climate change.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in an interview, said, "She pointed out to those of us who are passionate about climate change that it's a big country, and a lot of our previous economic growth was dependent on coal country, and that as we pursue a transition to a clean-energy economy, that it's not like Americans to leave folks behind. So we have to really think deeply about how we help folks who are experiencing challenges during this transition."

Clinton, however, has not commented on the links of climate change and violence in the Middle East.

In the Republican presidential field, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recognized the "climate is changing" but said the issue should not be "the highest priority." While admitting he does not know what causes climate change, Bush said the topic should not be ignored.

"I don't think the science is clear of what percentage is man-made and what percentage is natural. It's convoluted," said Bush from Bedford, New Hampshire, in May. "And for the people to say the science is decided on, this is just really arrogant, to be honest with you.

"It's this intellectual arrogance that now you can't even have a conversation about it," continued Bush. "The climate is changing, and we need to adapt to that reality."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also said the climate has been changing, but he does not believe it is man-made or the result of weather-related incidents.

In May 2014, Rubio said, "I don't agree with the notion that some are putting out there, including scientists, that somehow, there are actions we can take today that would actually have an impact on what's happening in our climate. Our climate is always changing. And what they have chosen to do is take a handful of decades of research and - and say that this is now evidence of a longer-term trend that's directly and almost solely attributable to manmade activity."

Florida, however, is at risk of climate change. According to a National Climate Assessment's 2014 report, Florida is threatened by increased inland flooding from sea level rises, which may lead to drainage problems and loss in cropland.

__

For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

Related