Warlord
10-22-2019, 02:38 PM
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he will introduce his own resolution urging President Donald Trump to end the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
The resolution comes days after the House overwhelmingly passed its own resolution condemning Trump’s decision to withdraw. Senate Republicans last week rejected an attempt to condemn Trump’s move, saying they should do something more substantial.
“I am introducing a stronger resolution that acknowledges hard truths and focuses on our strategic interests in the Middle East,” McConnell said. “It recognizes the grave consequences of U.S. withdrawal. ... We specifically urge the president to end the drawdown.”
McConnell’s resolution comes as a five-day cease-fire between Turkish and Kurdish forces winds down. The resolution recognizes the role Kurdish allies have played in the fight against the Islamic State, condemns the Turkish incursion into Syria and asks Trump to reconsider his invitation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit the White House.
McConnell added that he was “encouraged” by media reports that the Trump administration is considering keeping a military presence Syria to maintain pressure on ISIS.
“We cannot allow them to establish safe havens and solidify their networks,” McConnell said. “Just about every place that President Trump tried to lead from behind provides reminders that there are certain kinds of leadership only America can contribute.”
Trump’s move to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria earlier this month incited rare GOP revolt against his administration. McConnell penned an op-ed in The Washington Post published Friday calling the decision a “grave mistake” — though he did not mention Trump by name — while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has introduced new sanctions on Turkey with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will also hold a hearing Tuesday afternoon with James Jeffrey, the State Department’s special representative for Syria engagement.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/22/mitch-mcconnell-syria-resolution-054327
The resolution comes days after the House overwhelmingly passed its own resolution condemning Trump’s decision to withdraw. Senate Republicans last week rejected an attempt to condemn Trump’s move, saying they should do something more substantial.
“I am introducing a stronger resolution that acknowledges hard truths and focuses on our strategic interests in the Middle East,” McConnell said. “It recognizes the grave consequences of U.S. withdrawal. ... We specifically urge the president to end the drawdown.”
McConnell’s resolution comes as a five-day cease-fire between Turkish and Kurdish forces winds down. The resolution recognizes the role Kurdish allies have played in the fight against the Islamic State, condemns the Turkish incursion into Syria and asks Trump to reconsider his invitation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit the White House.
McConnell added that he was “encouraged” by media reports that the Trump administration is considering keeping a military presence Syria to maintain pressure on ISIS.
“We cannot allow them to establish safe havens and solidify their networks,” McConnell said. “Just about every place that President Trump tried to lead from behind provides reminders that there are certain kinds of leadership only America can contribute.”
Trump’s move to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria earlier this month incited rare GOP revolt against his administration. McConnell penned an op-ed in The Washington Post published Friday calling the decision a “grave mistake” — though he did not mention Trump by name — while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has introduced new sanctions on Turkey with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will also hold a hearing Tuesday afternoon with James Jeffrey, the State Department’s special representative for Syria engagement.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/22/mitch-mcconnell-syria-resolution-054327