News Opinons Politics

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.

See also  US Mint releases commemorative Trump $1 coin for purchase

Nevada Democratic election chief says Trump administration hit his office with seven DOJ subpoenas
Left-Wing Outlet Says It’s a ‘Racist Conspiracy Theory’ to Talk About Immigrants Replacing American Voters
WATCH: Illegal alien busted in battleground state after allegedly committing voter fraud
American Journalist Sentenced to Prison After Pleading Guilty to Working as an Agent of the Chinese Government
Republicans denounce Lindsay Clancy mistrial: ‘Victims deserved far, far better’
Two Suspects Arrested After Famous Musician and His Family Are Murdered in Mexico
Mullin asks DOJ to review voter data sharing tied to Zuckerberg-funded nonprofit group
Trump lawyers target what Letitia James won’t say about evidence in $450M case
Country Star John Rich Says Jelly Roll Knew Exactly What He Was Doing, And He Will Now Pay the Price
ICE officer pleads not guilty to lying about Minneapolis shooting involving Venezuelan man
Illinois mother charged with murder in death of 2-year-old son in case drawing comparions to Lindsay Clancy
Michael Cohen, Star Witness in Trump’s NY Conviction, Reportedly Recants Testimony: ‘He Was Pressured and Coerced’
‘Fiesta Mexicana’: El-Sayed campaign plans festive 9/11 while remembrance is missing from public schedule
The Right to a Jury of Our Peers Assumes We Still Live Among People Capable of Sound Judgment, Which We Don’t
Comer indicates McConnell staffers aiming for lawmaker to return to Senate later this month

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.

See also  Gloria Steinem, outspoken feminist leader, dies at 92

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.


Nevada Democratic election chief says Trump administration hit his office with seven DOJ subpoenas
Left-Wing Outlet Says It’s a ‘Racist Conspiracy Theory’ to Talk About Immigrants Replacing American Voters
WATCH: Illegal alien busted in battleground state after allegedly committing voter fraud
American Journalist Sentenced to Prison After Pleading Guilty to Working as an Agent of the Chinese Government
Republicans denounce Lindsay Clancy mistrial: ‘Victims deserved far, far better’
Two Suspects Arrested After Famous Musician and His Family Are Murdered in Mexico
Mullin asks DOJ to review voter data sharing tied to Zuckerberg-funded nonprofit group
Trump lawyers target what Letitia James won’t say about evidence in $450M case
Country Star John Rich Says Jelly Roll Knew Exactly What He Was Doing, And He Will Now Pay the Price
ICE officer pleads not guilty to lying about Minneapolis shooting involving Venezuelan man
Illinois mother charged with murder in death of 2-year-old son in case drawing comparions to Lindsay Clancy
Michael Cohen, Star Witness in Trump’s NY Conviction, Reportedly Recants Testimony: ‘He Was Pressured and Coerced’
‘Fiesta Mexicana’: El-Sayed campaign plans festive 9/11 while remembrance is missing from public schedule
The Right to a Jury of Our Peers Assumes We Still Live Among People Capable of Sound Judgment, Which We Don’t
Comer indicates McConnell staffers aiming for lawmaker to return to Senate later this month
See also  Grand Canyon flash flood leaves 1 dead and several missing or unaccounted for, park service says

Jeffrey noted that the Trump administration “is pursuing three mutually reinforcing whole-of-government strategic objectives in Syria – the enduring defeat of ISIS, the removal of all Iranian-led forces from Syria, and the resolution of the Syrian crisis through a political solution.”

Trump inherited the war in Iraq and Syria from former President Barack Obama, who started it in 2014 in response to the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter