U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
10/06/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/06/2021 11:14
McCaul, Risch: Normalization with Assad Regime is Wrong
Media Contact 202-225-5021
Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Lead Republican Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) have released the following statement on reports of U.S. partners pursuing normalization with the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
"Bashar al-Assad has inflicted enormous suffering on the Syrian people, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Syrians and committing crimes against humanity with assistance from Russia and Iran. Rightly, the international community has cast out his regime for these atrocities. Additionally, Congress passed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act to punish those who have supported Assad's campaign of slaughter.
"It is disappointing that some U.S. partners, including members of the Arab League, are losing their resolve to punish Assad by looking to normalize relations, including through energy deals that would involve payments to the Assad regime. The conflict in Syria has destabilized the entire Middle East region. Normalizing relations now will only allow that destabilization to continue. We remain committed to working with the international community until the Syrian people receive proper justice."
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