Democratic Rep. Gabbard Makes Secret Trip to Syria
John Hudson
Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has just departed war-torn Damascus following what her aides described as a "fact-finding" mission to work toward ending the nearly six-year conflict in Syria.
On this issue, John Hudson wrote for the Foreign Policy that: a congressional travel to the devastated country is exceedingly rare, especially as fighting continues in direct violation of a recent cease-fire agreement brokered by Turkey and Russia.
This week, Syrian army units backed by allies attempted to recapture a militant-controlled area near Damascus that includes a pumping station that supplies most of the city's water.
Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran who drew speculation about an appointment in the Trump administration after she met privately with the president-elect in November, has frequently bucked her party and Washington's foreign-policy establishment in debates over the Syrian conflict.
For years, she has opposed a US policy of regime change and says the country will become more unstable and dangerous if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is ousted.
Describing the purpose of the trip, Gabbard spokeswoman Emily Latimer said she "felt it was important to meet with a number of individuals and groups, including religious leaders, humanitarian workers, refugees, and government and community leaders."
This month, she introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, which would prohibit the US government from providing funding and weapons to militant groups working to overthrow the Assad regime, such as the Levant Front, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and al Qaeda.
In interviews, she called for the United States to abandon its goal of removing Assad and focus on eliminating Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] and al Qaeda.
"Gabbard has long been committed to peace and ending counterproductive, interventionist wars," her spokeswoman told Foreign Policy.
When asked if Gabbard met with Assad, Latimer declined to comment, citing security and logistical concerns.
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have maintained that any resolution to the conflict in Syria must result in Assad's departure. But Gabbard's views have found support from Trump, who has long maintained that the Syrian opposition has been infiltrated by extremists and cannot be trusted.
Source: Foreign Policy, Edited by website team
Comments
- Related News
