George W Bush kept the US safe, says his brother

WASHINGTON: The national security and foreign policy of former US President George W Bush came in for support from two Republican presidential candidates including his own younger brother, who said that America was safe under him.

"You know what? As it relates to my brother, there's one thing I know for sure. He kept us safe," Jeb Bush thundered back after Donald Trump - the leading Republican presidential candidate - criticised the foreign policies of the former US President.

"Your brother -- and your brother's administration gave us Barack Obama, because it was such a disaster, those last three months, that Abraham Lincoln couldn't have been elected," Trump said in his typical signature style, which infuriated Bush who was standing by his side.

"You remember the fire fighter with his arms around it? He sent a clear signal that the United States would be strong and fight Islamic terrorism, and he did keep us safe," said Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida.

Trump, however, did not agree.

"I don't know. You feel safe right now? I don't feel so safe," he said.

But other Republican presidential candidates came out in support of Bush. It was against the foreign policies of Bush that Barack Obama was voted to power in a massive wave election in 2008.

"I support what President Bush did at that time, going into Afghanistan, hunting al Qaeda and its leaders, getting its sanctuary out of place, and making it as difficult around the world for them to move people and money," said New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, said.

"Then he went to prosecutors like us, and he said, never again. Don't prosecute these people after the crime is committed. Intervene before the crime happens. I absolutely believe that what the President did at the time was right," he said.

"And I am proud to have been one of the people on the stage who was part of making sure that what Governor Bush said before was the truth. America was safe for those seven years and Barack Obama has taken that safety away from us," Christie said.