Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the lawmaker who accused the U.S. government of funding and arming ISIS and introduced a bill to prevent it from happening in future, recently disclosed that she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during her recent trip to Syria. The move has reportedly angered many of her fellow congressmen and women.
Upon returning from the war-stricken nation, Gabbard released the following statement in the form of a press release:
My visit to Syria has made it abundantly clear: Our counterproductive regime change war does not serve America’s interest, and it certainly isn’t in the interest of the Syrian people.
As I visited with people from across the country, and heard heartbreaking stories of how this war has devastated their lives, I was asked, ‘Why is the United States and its allies helping al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups try to take over Syria? Syria did not attack the United States. Al-Qaeda did.’ I had no answer.
According to the press release, Gabbard met with refugees, Syrian opposition leaders who led protesters in 2011, widows and family members who fight alongside al-Qaeda groups, pro-Assad troops, humanitarian workers, and students, to name a few. Gabbard also met with high-ranking officials such as Lebanon’s newly-elected President Aon and Prime Minister Hariri, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard, Syrian President Assad, Grand Mufti Hassoun, and Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of the Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo.
Initially, Gabbard allegedly had no intention of meeting Assad, as she stated in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did so because I 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,” she told Tapper.
The meeting with Assad is incredibly controversial because of numerous allegations by the U.N. that Assad has committed crimes against humanity.
“Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria,” she added. “In order for any peace agreement, in order for any possibility of a viable peace agreement to occur there has to be a conversation with him.”
Not surprisingly, the media has hyped up this visit as outrageous but has omitted some very glaring hypocrisies that arise as a result of Gabbard’s trip to Syria.
First, the Obama administration and Bush administration both drew serious allegations of war crimes, but if Gabbard had met with either of those former presidents, it’s doubtful anyone would have batted an eyelid.
Second, former Secretary of State John Kerry met with Assad in 2009, even though, after nine years in office, Assad was clearly responsible for all of the things Western media has been relentlessly accusing him of doing since 2011.
Third, Gabbard’s meeting symbolizes the ridiculousness of America’s foreign policy decision-making system. A few hundred old men and women who have never been to Syria — nor care to go — sit in a room and deliberate a piece of paper deciding whether or not to drop million dollar tomahawk missiles on a relatively poor country. Even when these decision-makers are well aware of the horror their edicts will unleash, they are never required to visit the country, talk to its people, or understand the situation and better educate themselves. In the case of Syria, Congress wasn’t even required to approve the air campaign that began in 2014, as Obama authorized airstrikes without their approval anyway.
Gabbard’s move should be applauded — not ridiculed. Singling out Assad as some sort of mass-murdering psychopath while foreign leaders routinely meet with alleged war criminals such as Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s leadership, and Henry Kissinger, to name a few, is the epitome of U.S.-NATO arrogance.
Gabbard may have met with a mass murderer, but she also met with numerous people on the ground — the people who matter most. After doing so, she concluded:
I return to Washington, DC with even greater resolve to end our illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government. I call upon Congress and the new Administration to answer the pleas of the Syrian people immediately and support the Stop Arming Terrorists Act. We must stop directly and indirectly supporting terrorists—directly by providing weapons, training and logistical support to rebel groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS; and indirectly through Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey, who, in turn, support these terrorist groups. We must end our war to overthrow the Syrian government and focus our attention on defeating al-Qaeda and ISIS.
No one can criticize her strategy because, for the last six years, no one has even attempted it.
This article (Congresswoman Who Says U.S. Funds ISIS Just Got Back from Syria: Here’s What She Found) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Darius Shahtahmasebi and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article to edits@theantimedia.org.
And, Tulsi is a hottie!!
The Wall and the guards is a way to protect us from the illegals. We have not been protected for years and it is many people from many countries coming across the border where the wall hopefully will be built. Why do the American people NOT want to be protected from harms way which is what President Trump promised to do and he indeed intends to carry out as many of his campaign promises as possible. We Americans should stand together and demand that our Government place the American people First and only those persons who want to respect and honor our constitution shall be admitted to enjoy our freedoms and liberties, for this is the only way we will keep our God Given Rights active. President Trump wants to defeat ISIS and he in not way would allow any monies or guns, ammunition and etc to be given to the Terrorists……He IS NOT OBAMA AND HILLARY CLINTON. All of the members of the Muslim brotherhood within our government should be vacated….for this organization should be classified as terrorist for it has been proven they are that, terrorists. God Bless, Protect and Guide our New Administration.
Just wanna’ know why you haven’t said anything about the terrorist cells already entrenched within the country? Or haven’t you heard anything about that particular threat? The security guard in Florida? The health care worker in California? Or maybe the massing of foreign troops in certain states within the country? That stuff doesn’t bother you? Or do you just ignore things like these due to the fact that Mr. Trump seems/tends to ignore them whenever he’s speaking? And just for s*&()s and g(&&$#S, How do YOU know what’s really on HIS mind *(Steve Bannon)*.
“Massing of foreign troops”? Never heard of it, but even if it were so, why would you complain. The US is always massing its own troops in foreign countries, or are you saying only the US has a right to do that but no one else?
Who knew the Democrat Party had an intelligent, principled, charismatic congresswoman in their ranks?
Tulsi Gabbard and Jake Tapper are members of the Rockefeller/CFR, along with Bill Clinton, John McCain and George Soros. It’s all showbiz. See member lists at cfr dot org.
Did Gabbard lie? No.
Does not matter – there will be a huge upwelling to discredit her despite her telling the truth – I completely agree with you.
The movement to allow an islamic caliphate by western countries is actually quite scary – it is coming – if only because of the EU countries and America.
This woman risked her life in Syria and now she might be risking it at home in America.
Prayers for her safety as she continues to tell the truth.
By the way – I used to live in Syria – she is spot on in her assessment of the situation.
Cheers
Good point, I voted for her and I am very happy with her representation; however, the tentacles of the CFR should be addressed.
I have had friends ask her about it and yet to hear a response. I could call her but we are both busy and try to stick with business and other issues. She may just still be waking up or just playing the game. Either way it’s hard to change a system this broken and controlled opposition is possible.
I guess I will keep voting based on the fruits of this tree while keeping in mind if voting really mattered they wouldn’t let us do it. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ffae6d8bcd97f3c96590b6aa9a6a4fa848b11d7f2376077ebec0b86a7e4157fa.jpg
John ‘skull and bones’ Kerry representing the U.S. is a joke, he is part of the swamp.
Drain the swamp.
Silver stakes required.
Kudos to the dem Tulsi – guess they aren’t all bad.
Kerry was caught on tape admitting that the ‘coalition’ was illegal in Syria and Russia were legal as they had been invited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1273&v=t3grHmI44mg circa 18 minute mark.
Ooops, they have taken it down.
Transcript here; http://shiapost.com/2016/10/02/kerry-admits-us-intervention-in-syria-is-illegal/
McCain and Graham as well.
I guess you are happy with that born again Flynn who has the answers before the question has been asked? I was born right the first time thank you very much.
This is how we “Make America Great again.” by keeping the pointless wars going.
‘Why is the United States and its allies helping al-Qaeda and other
terrorist groups try to take over Syria? Syria did not attack the United
States. Al-Qaeda did.’
Because of the want to run two oil pipelines through Syria which Syria doesn’t want that’s why.
It’s a corporate/banker war with corrupt government officials’ acquiescence, that is all it ever was.
If there is indeed anything left worth saving in the Dem party ,Tulsi Gabbard should lead it or quit the Dem and start her own party ,the party of TRUTH.
It seems that now would be a good time for the Democrats to start democracy: a government in which the true will of the People is the supreme law of the land.
When are you sheeple going to understand that there is no difference from RINO or DINO, there are a lot out there that are good and care about the American people.
Sadly, Jay Sekulow at the ACLJ was only recently promoting the idea and dedicating much time a few weeks prior to Christmas that the U.S. was fighting a humanitarian war in Syria against an evil leader Assad who gassed his own people. I knew it was totally false and protested. I noted the ACLJ goes to other countries it has offices to represent, 1, 2 stray people in court as its publicity front while being supportive of fake wars in Syria to support the GOP narrative. Sick! No more donations and the last one I made was hefty.
Just what Trump said during the debates, we need to take ISIS out first in Syria,and possibly work with Putin to do so. I have read that it is ISIS running the refugee camps in Syria that is arranging for migration to parts of Europe, who do you think ISIS would send there? The worse terrorists, that is who.
The banksters’ shills will just demonize her just like they demonized the word, democracy, unless it rolls off their tongues.
Archie: Think I viewed it on YouTube, and a conservative website like Dave Hodges site. Look them up and see if they oass muster for you.