Here's what the Republicans think about Obama's handling of Iraq

Despite sanctioning a series of air strikes and drone attacks this weekend, US president Barack Obama has been on the receiving end of a raft of criticism for his perceived lack of action over the crisis in Iraq.

Unsurprisingly, Republican politicians were at the forefront of this condemnation.

[The response has been] very, very ineffective, to say the least.

While the President has continued to say ‘this is an Iraqi problem, this is an Iraqi problem’, it's a United States problem and it is a threat to our national security.

• John McCain, Republican senator for Arizona

A shameful abdication of American leadership.

• Peter T. King, Republican representative in New York. On Obama's unwillingness to take stronger action.

If [Mr Obama] does not go on the offensive against Isis, Isil, whatever you guys want to call it, they are coming here.

And if we do get attacked, then he will have committed a blunder for the ages.

• Lindsey Graham, Republican senator for South Carolina

[The rise of Isis is] the latest manifestation of the failures of the Obama-Clinton foreign policies.

• Ted Cruz, Republican senator for Texas.

To add to Mr Obama's woes, a Wall Street Journal-NBC poll found last week that 60 per cent of Americans disapprove of the President’s handling of foreign policy while a July survey by Pew found that 55 per cent felt the US had no responsibility to tackle the violence in Iraq.

More: The 'O' word no one dares mention when talking about Iraq