Ilhan Omar: U.S. Strategy in Syria Taking ‘Cues’ from Russia, Turkey, Israel

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to resolve the Syrian conflict is taking “cues” from Russia, Turkey, and Israel, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) argued during a House panel hearing Wednesday without acknowledging that the three countries stand on opposing sides of the more than eight-year-old war.

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Omar told Ambassador James Jeffrey, the president’s special envoy for Syria engagement who was invited to testify:

It seems that the particular conflict in Syria is being birthed out of a need for the people to have freedom and to actualize democracy and I’m concerned that most of our cues right now [are] being taken from Russia, and Turkey, and Israel, and so I’m wondering if that’s sort of a counter message to what we say we are interested in achieving in Syria.

Jeffrey responded by saying the United Nations, backed by the United States, is committed to giving the Syrian people democracy “through free and fair elections monitored by the U.N., including the diaspora.”

“I believe Democracy should not be given, it should be earned by the people, and we should be in partnership with them,” the Minnesota Democrat followed up.

Omar suggested that Russia, Turkey, and Israel are influencing Trump’s Syrian strategy even though these countries do not coincide in their strategy with each other, making it impossible to appease all three.

Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Jewish student abuse alleged, disrespecting Charlie Kirk, woke work

Virginia bus crash that killed five involved driver who doesn’t speak English, Sean Duffy says

Who is Christopher Cooper, the judge who blocked Trump’s plans for the Kennedy Center?

Dem Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed recounts smashing vodka bottle after beard criticism

GRAPHIC: Next Time Somebody Complains ICE Is Wearing Masks, Shut Them up with This Footage – ‘Your Whole ****ing Family Is Dead … I Have Your Face!’

Sheridan Gorman’s alleged illegal immigrant killer caught with weapon while in jail custody, police say

Minnesota Law Enforcement Travels to Texas to Arrest ICE Agent

FBI and Texas authorities arrest 276 suspected child predators, rescue 89 children in sweeping operation

Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s $1.8 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund,’ Setting Up Critical Hearing

‘There Are No Words’: 6th Grader Dies on School Trip

Federal judge orders Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center, says only Congress can rename it

Spanberger ripped over ignored ICE detainer after illegal alien with 18 prior charges accused of sex assault

House Republican Don Bacon says he wants ‘pariah state’ Russia booted from UN Security Council

Louisiana passes new congressional map

Pope Leo meets with Chicago’s far-left mayor, George Floyd’s family lawyer at the Vatican

Russia supports the Iranian-allied regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs the opposition. Although Moscow and Ankara have embarked on joint efforts to end the conflict, Turkey remains resolute in its support for Assad opposition forces.

The Russia-Turkey agreement late last year to push al-Qaeda-linked jihadis out of Syria’s Idlib region failed, with Moscow blaming Ankara for the lack of success. Now, the jihadis control most of Idlib and some of the surrounding areas — considered the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria.

Israel has targeted assets on Syrian soil linked to Assad’s ally Iran. Iran considers Israel, which shares a border with Syria, to be its mortal enemy.

Democrat leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have defended Omar from bipartisan criticism over repeated antisemitic remarks.

In his written testimony, Ambassador Jeffrey condemned Russia and Iran for enabling Assad, noting that the Syrian regime has been able to re-conquer 60 percent of the war-ravaged country with the help of Moscow, Tehran, and Iranian proxies like Hezbollah.