Gabbard reveals Assad meeting during secret Syria trip

Washington Examiner ^ | 1/25/17 | Al Weaver

[markomalley]

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, revealed Wednesday that she met with Syrian President Bashar Assad during her recent secret trip to Syria.

Appearing on CNN, Gabbard explained that she did not plan on meeting with Assad, who has been derided as a criminal for killing thousands of Syrians under his presidency. But she did so because the U.S. should be ready and willing to "meet with anyone" in order to achieve peace.

"I did," Gabbard said when asked by host Jake Tapper if she met with Assad. "My reason for going to visit Syria was really because of the suffering of the Syria people that has been weighing heavily on my heart. I wanted to see if there was, in some small way, a way that I could express my love and the aloha and the care that the American people have for the people of Syria and to see first hand what is happening there, to see the situation there."

"Initially I hadn't planned on meeting him," she said. "When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did so because I felt 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's a possible that we could achieve peace, and that's exactly what we talked about."

The Hawaii Democrat also touched on complaints from her colleagues, specifically, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who called Assad a "butcher" in a tweet and has called for the U.S. to arm the moderate rebels in Syria. Gabbard argued that there are no more moderate rebels left in the region to arm, adding that any discussion about the future of Syria needs to be had with Assad despite his actions against his people.

"Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria. 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," Gabbard argued. "The Syrian people will determine his outcome and what happens with their government and their future."

"Our focus, my focus, my commitment, is on ending this war that has caused so much suffering to these Syrian people, to these children, to these families, many of whom I met on this trip," Gabbard said. "It's important for us to stay focused on doing what is in their best interest and what is in our best interest, and doing what is necessary to make that happen."

Tapper pushed back on Gabbard's claim that the Syrians will be able to control their future, and said "free and fair elections" are not a thing in the Middle Eastern nation.

After news emerged about the trip last week, a Gabbard spokesperson labeled it a "fact-finding trip," but declined to reveal any information about a possible meeting with Assad.

Gabbard has been an outspoken advocate who has called for the U.S. to stop aiding and assisting groups attempting to overthrow Assad, and has said those policies harm efforts to combat ISIS in the region.

Gabbard made the trip without informing congressional leaders, but she didn't confirm meeting with Assad until Wednesday during a CNN interview. "Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact os that he is the president of Syria," Gabbard said during the interview. "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. The Syrian people will determine his outcome and what happens with their government and their future."

Former President Obama said that Assad "must go" as the civil war crescendoed in 2011. "The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way," he said.

Assad maintained that his opponents are terrorists and fought to remain in power with the support of Russian and Iran, as ISIS and other terrorist groups gained strength during the chaos. The tactical situation in Syria produced a tangled coalition of allies and enemies; reputedly "moderate" Syrian rebels and ISIS both identified Assad as an enemy, and the Obama administration coordinated a war against ISIS while also providing support to select rebel groups.

Gabbard, reminded that the United States denies supporting terrorists and that Syria doesn't have free elections, replied that the "so-called rebel groups" are allied with terrorism and that Assad has popular support.

"The Syrian people recognize and they know that if President Assad is overthrown, then al Qaeda or a group like al Qaeda — that has been killing Christians, killing people simply because of their religion, or because they won't support their terror activities — they will take charge of all of Syria," Gabbard said. "This is the reality that the people of Syria are facing on the ground and why they are pleading with us here in the United States to stop supporting these terrorist groups. Let the Syrian people themselves determine their future. Not the United States, not some foreign country."

[Impy]

I miss DON MANZULLO, whom I considered my Congressman by proxy.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yes. Our BlackElk was stuck with Kinzinger as his member, and he was disgusted about it. We owe it to him to see this RINO dirtbag defeated by a Manzullo-style candidate in 2018.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Gabbard would never make it through a Dem primary requiring the very worst, most execrable stances and personal characteristics to be the nominee. Some in the party already consider her to be a crypto-Republican (of course, the same was described of Cory Booker when he first ran for Newark Mayor, so much for that).

[Lumper20]

A lowly Congress type has no business there. You are off topic. We never belonged in Iraq nor should have conventional troops ever been sent to Afghan. Iran runs Syria. Now add Russia. We had no reason being in Libya. Two SF teams ran the Taliban out of Afghan. Then look at the mess with riding up and down MSR’s. UW.

[Bratch]

I dunno. She burned a lot of bridges in the Presidential primary.

Tulsi Gabbard resigns from DNC post to endorse Bernie Sanders

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Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced Sunday she is resigning from her Democratic National Committee post in order to endorse Sen. Bernard Sanders’ bid for the presidential nomination.

[...]

“As a veteran, as a soldier, I’ve seen firsthand the trust cost of war,” she said, calling it a “necessity” to “have a commander-in-chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgment, who looks at the consequences of the actions that they are looking to take before they take those actions, so that we don’t continue to find ourselves in these failures that have resulted in chaos in the Middle East and so much loss of life.”

---

 

[sockmonkey]

*** Do you think I or many Americans care about Syria? We have our problems and she was elected to SOLVE them-not Syria’s. ***

We made Syria and the ME our problem when we started the regime change con. To please our Saudi Masters, and the elected bought and paid for Unipartians, we have squandered American lives, and billions of dollars.

Assad is no Saint, but life under Assad was certainly better, and more westernized than the lifestyle that the Syrians have experienced under the American enabled destruction of their country.

And the propaganda we have been fed by our media and Politicians is as bad as the made up crap that has been said about Trump, or anyone who challenged the narrative.

Read James Foley’s last tweets before he was kidnapped.

[Lumper20]

I agree. We were better off leaving things alone. Iraq was Bush’s get even for the BS planned attack on his dad in Kuwait by Iraqi types.

[Impy]

Crypto-Republican and Berner seem to be contradictory.

[Califreak]

Maybe Tulsi is a D.I.N.O.

[Califreak]

Oops, nevermind.

Forgot about the Berner thing.

[fieldmarshaldj]

So it seems.

[PIF]

“Let the Syrian people themselves determine their future. Not the United States, not some foreign country.””

Take it up with the Russians ...

[GOPsterinMA]

WB

[ReaganGeneration2]

Do you think I or many Americans care about Syria? We have our problems and she was elected to SOLVE them-not Syria’s.

Yes, when the US (Obama, Clinton, Kerry, McCain, Graham) was or is arming Al Queda and ISIS, as Rep Gabbard explained, we care.

[Lumper20]

It is not her job to travel there. That is my point. She just made major in the damn NG military police.

[ReaganGeneration2]

Ok, good point there

[politicianslie]

Kinzinger is in cahoots with McShame and Linda in the creation of ISIS.

Creation of ISIS?

Trump during the campaign floated the notion that Hussein Obama and useful idiot Hillary Clinton started ISIS. McChame and his girlfriend Linda Grahamnesty (RINO-SC) went along with the leader of the effort, Hussein Obama.

So WHY did Hussein support the ARAB SPRING?

Hussein worked hard to overthrow the Libyan government and he supported the rebels there too. It could be argued that wherever Hussein went, he tried to overthrow governments. In Egypt, Hussein supported the Muslim Brotherhood. You know, terrorists who wanted Egypt in a war with Israel. The MB was thrown out of government in Egypt by the Egyptian people.

Hussein Obama was removed from power by Americans when useful idiot Hillary Clinton was soundly defeated.

Hussein sided with the Syrian rebels also known as Al Qaeda and ISIS as he tried to overthrow the Syrian government. Hussein was obviously working for ISIS and the Muslim terrorists. The Russians got in the way of the terrorist plans to overthrow the Syrian government.

It should now make sense why Hussein Obama was lying about Russian involvement in the US election and collusion with Trump. All of Hussein's work to set up ISIS is now going to be destroyed by the Russian military and US military in a coordinated effort to destroy ISIS and the Muslim terrorist invasion of the west.

Riots on Main Street to stop Hussein Obama's prison term? Who cares, felony rioting penalty is 10 years and a $25,000 fine. Drain the swamp by pissing them off.

It should also make sense why Hussein Obama and useful idiot Hillary Clinton lied about Benghazi. Hussein could not let near brain dead Americans know that Benghazi was a coordinated Muslim terrorist attack. But the biggest part is that Hussein had to prevent the same fools from knowing he was arming Muslim terrorists And why not lie? The presstitutes are in bed with the US government when controlled by their party, liberal, progressive, Muslim liars.

There are still Americans who have NOT figured out where the "lost" $Billions that Hillary's State Department lost. It wasn't lost, it went to Hussein's terrorists.

It is very possible Hussein Obama will wind up being arrested for working with Muslim terrorist groups in between golf rounds. Hussein is stupid enough to think that Trump will not go along with canning America's FIRST Muslim President.

Trump is going to have to put this puzzle together VERY SLOWLY, one piece at a time for near brain dead Americans. To call some Americans fools is a serious understatement.