Posted on 09/17/2014 8:05:36 PM PDT by Deadeye Division
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- One of Ohio's most conservative Congress members teamed up with one of its most liberal representatives to oppose U.S. government funding of rebels in Syria who are fighting the ISIS terrorist group.
But Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat from Warrrensville Heights and Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan offered divergent reasons for voting against the proposal that passed the House of Representatives, 273-156.
In a statement that described the vote as a "tough decision," Fudge said she "agrees with a majority of Americans who support airstrikes against ISIS."
"I support President Obama's decision to continue airstrikes as needed and believe that is the most appropriate response at this time," Fudge continued.
Jordan described Obama's plan to fight ISIS as "weak" and said it "forfeits the leadership role the United States must play" to end the group's brutality. He said the United States has no idea which Syrian opposition groups are "credible" and whether they'd remain loyal to the United States.
"Ultimately, we cannot control what happens to the people we would train or the weapons we would provide them, which could easily find their way to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups to be used against our interests in the region," said Jordan, who urged Obama to work with Congress to pass "an authorization that clearly defines our mission based on our security needs, not the sectarian needs of others."
All other Ohio members of Congress backed the effort. House Speaker John Boehner, a West Chester Republican, said the terrorist group "represents a direct threat to the safety and security of the United States and House Republicans are firmly committed to doing everything we can to help keep America safe."
Niles-area Democrat Tim Ryan said he backs Obama's strategy of targeted air strikes, tactical support and intelligence gathering without embroiling U.S. troops.
"I believe it is necessary to train and prepare local forces in the region to combat this threat," said a statement from Ryan, who said ISIS can't continue "to have a safe haven in Syria where they will continue to grow stronger and more dangerous."
“He said the United States has no idea which Syrian opposition groups are “credible” and whether they’d remain loyal to the United States.”
That is the whole thing in a nutshell. We here on FR have been saying that all along.
So do I oppose helping the “moderates”. I support B-52s and Warthogs and F-18s. But I do not support pretending that any flavor of Syrian rebel is anything but a damned Sunni moslem that will create any kind of government I respect.
And its a special kind of stupid to think that the rebels will stop fighting Assad, wheel around and fight Isis.
This was Obamas way to finally get what he wanted last summer.
The “moderates” will take over, than ISIS will roll in and have a nation state bordering Israel.
“ .....which Syrian opposition groups are “credible” and whether they’d remain loyal to the United States.”
I wouldn’t trust any of them to be loyal to the USA.
Thier allegience ios first to Islam
Everything is secondary to that ... !
Press Release
Jordan statement on vote against President Obama’s plan to combat ISIS
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) made the following comments about his vote against President Barack Obama’s proposed plan to combat the Islamic terrorist organization ISIS:
“I agree with the majority of Americans that ISIS is a real threat to the United States, our allies, and our interests both here at home and abroad. Through its public beheadings and other atrocities, ISIS has shown that it is an enemy determined to stop at nothing to achieve its barbaric aims.
“For America and her allies to truly be safe from this threat, ISIS must be completely destroyed. For that reason, I cannot support the weak plan outlined by the president. It forfeits the leadership role the United States must play in order to bring about an end to this brutality.
“I was glad to see the president, in his speech to the nation last week, change his rhetoric from dismissing ISIS as a ‘J.V. team’ to recognizing it for what it is: the most violent Islamic terrorist group in the world today. His proposed strategy to counter ISIS, though, is more of the same lead-from-behind proposals that have come to define his presidency.
“Any strategy that relies on training and arming ‘appropriately vetted’ Syrian opposition groups suggests that such groups are willing and able to conduct a ground fight against ISIS. In reality, we have no idea which groups are credible and whether they would remain loyal to us amid the ever-changing alliances of the Middle East. There are already reports that some ‘appropriately vetted’ groups are seeking non-aggression deals with ISIS.
“Ultimately, we cannot control what happens to the people we would train or the weapons we would provide them, which could easily find their way to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups to be used against our interests in the region.
“If the president wants to be serious about confronting ISIS, he should come to Congress and work with us to pass an authorization that clearly defines our mission based on our security needs, not on the sectarian needs of others.”
http://jordan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393921
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