Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page S5777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TURKEY AND SYRIA
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on one final matter, I know I speak
for many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in expressing my
grave concern at the events that have unfolded in Syria in recent days.
Turkey is our NATO ally. Yes, it hosts millions of Syrian refugees
and has a legitimate security concern about the situation in Syria. But
Turkey's escalation of hostilities with the Syrian Kurdish partners who
have helped the United States fight terrorism is completely and totally
unacceptable. This violence needs to end.
Syrian Kurdish forces have stood proudly alongside U.S. forces in the
fight against ISIS. Over years of joint effort, their shared sacrifices
have put ISIS on its heels and rendered its physical caliphate
essentially nonexistent. But leaving the field now would mean leaving
the door wide open for a resurgence of this dangerous force and a new
iteration of the Islamic State; creating a power vacuum begging for the
meddling influence of Russia; leaving northeastern Syria wide open for
Iran to extend its reach, unimpeded, all the way from Tehran to the
doorstep of our friends in Israel; and destroying the leverage we
currently have to compel Bashar Assad to stop his slaughter of the
Syrian people and negotiate an end to this terrible conflict and
humanitarian catastrophe.
I want to make something clear: The United States has taken the fight
to Syria and Afghanistan because that is where our enemies are. That is
why we are there. Fighting terrorists, exercising leadership in
troubled regions, and advancing U.S. interests around the world does
not make us an evil empire or the world's policeman. It makes us a
prudent and responsible world power that stands up for our own security
and the freedom of others.
Alongside the 80 coalition partners that U.S. forces have led in the
counter-ISIS coalition, that is what we must continue to do. We must
continue to provide support to the local forces that carry the lion's
share of the responsibility to defend their homelands. This effort must
continue to include our allies and partners, even the imperfect ones
that sometimes behave rashly and dangerously, as both Saudi Arabia and
Turkey have recently.
When it looked like President Trump would withdraw from Syria at the
beginning of the year, 70--70--Senators joined in warning of the risks
of precipitously withdrawing from Syria or Afghanistan. The veto-proof
majority vote for my amendment to S. 1, the Strengthening America's
Security in the Middle East Act, demonstrated strong and bipartisan
appreciation of our enduring security interests in that region. The
Senate spoke clearly and said that we must ensure that we have set the
conditions for an enduring defeat of the terrorists before any
withdrawal.
Regrettably, many of the Democratic Senators running for President,
along with my friend the Democratic leader, parted with this bipartisan
consensus and voted against this amendment. So I hope those aspiring
Commanders in Chief are asked to explain how they reconcile their
criticism of the administration today with their votes just a few
months ago. Maybe they will even be asked on the debate stage this very
evening.
I am heartened to hear that Vice President Pence will soon lead a
delegation to begin immediate talks with Turkey to end this violence.
I expect Turkish allies listen carefully to the anger from
Washington, welcome our Vice President, and take steps to repair our
important relationship. It would be a tragedy for both of our nations
if Turkey's escalation in Syria imperils our common fight against ISIS
and emboldens traditional adversaries like Iran and Russia. This would
be bad for U.S. interests, but it would be terrible for Turkey.
I also look forward to discussing with Members on both sides and with
the administration how the United States can stand with our partners
and provide strong, principled, and consistent global leadership.
____________________
