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.

Fetterman Defends Trump Foreign Policy Wins as Fellow Democrats Throw a Fit: ‘Removing Maduro Was Positive’

3 Days After Maduro’s Capture, And Trump Has Inked Multi-Billion-Dollar Oil Deal to Be Used to Benefit the Venezuelan and American People

Trump pulls US out of UN-linked migration forum in bold immigration move

Rubio outlines three-step plan about what comes next for Venezuelan government

Rubio lays out three-phase plan for Venezuela after Maduro: ‘Not just winging it’

‘Hands off Venezuela’ demonstrations kick off worldwide

House report suggests activist groups did not help fire relief efforts. They say otherwise

Mark Kelly Gives CNN Rambling Response When Asked If Troops Who Captured Maduro Should Have Disobeyed Their Orders

Marco Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump’s Plan for Acquiring Greenland: Report

White House says Venezuela’s future ‘dictated’ by US as Trump embraces ‘American dominance’

Florida boater accused of killing teen in crash avoids jail time with plea deal

Slain Ohio dentist’s brother-in-law says ‘domestic dispute’ 911 call came from party guest, not wife

Watchdog urges DOJ probe of top research university over alleged illegal DEI practices: ‘Defies common sense’

Trump says US will always support NATO despite plans to invade or buy Greenland

DOJ sends prosecutors to Minnesota amid widening fraud investigation

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.