[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 52 (Monday, March 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 26, 2018

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, we recently marked the passage of seven 
years since peaceful protests against the ineffective, cruel, and 
undemocratic regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were escalated 
by President Assad into a brutal civil war. It has cost hundreds of 
thousands of lives, displaced 6.1 million people inside Syria, caused 
another 5.4 million Syrians to flee to nearby countries, and left 
nearly 3 million people in besieged areas. Assad has gassed his own 
people, and dropped barrel bombs on his own cities. Assad's actions set 
the conditions for ISIS to metastasize into Syria, prosper, and spread 
terror and chaos in the region. He and his closest friends on the 
international stage, President Putin of Russia and the leadership of 
Iran, demonstrate no regard for the safety or wellbeing of the Syrian 
people.
  The continuation of this war into its eighth year is a tragedy. The 
United States is right to stand in opposition to Assad's brutality and 
against the countless non-state groups that have seized on the chaos to 
pursue their own agendas, many of which are apocalyptic and dangerous 
to our national security.
  Consistent with our national interest, we must do everything in our 
power to bring this conflict to a halt and prevent Syria, its 
ungoverned spaces, and the refugee camps on the territory of Syria's 
neighbors from becoming a breeding ground for the next generation of 
radical terrorists. This effort requires continued efforts by the 
military and our intelligence services, but also demands muscular 
diplomacy to find a lasting political solution and robust foreign aid 
to provide a generation of Syrians with opportunities other than 
picking up a rifle.
  Until a lasting solution is found I believe our country needs to do 
so much more to relieve the suffering of those injured and displaced. 
We are an immigrant nation of 330 million, and yet from Fiscal Year 
2011 to the end of February this year, we permitted less than 22,000 
refugees from Syria to enter the United States. This is a failure to 
act compassionately, and I fear that history will judge America harshly 
for its tepid response to the torment and suffering of untold souls.
  I encourage my colleagues and the Administration to not lose sight of 
the ongoing violence perpetrated by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 
and his allies and to redouble our efforts to bring this horrific 
humanitarian crisis to a close.

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