Tulsi Gabbard: Assad Is Not the Enemy of the US

By Staff, Agencies

Hawaii Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not the enemy of the United States, standing by her opposition to US involvement in that country's war two years after she met personally with him.

"Assad is not the enemy of the United States because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States," Gabbard said Wednesday morning on MSNBC.

Gabbard recently announced her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, and she has pledged to draw down US military efforts overseas. Her formal kickoff last weekend followed uncertainty about her campaign operations and staffing.

Gabbard met with Assad in Syria two years ago, saying at the time she "felt that it's important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we've got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we can achieve peace."