Speech #1140053202

I am not generally in the habit of agreeing with my friend from Texas. but I do thank him for posing some really challenging questions about our activities in Syria. I think it is fair to say that the situation in Syria has gotten worse. not better. And only now that the chaos in Syria results in the flow of hundreds of thousands of people into Europe and into surrounding and delicately constructed countries. only now that we are having a conversation about how many Syrian refugees we will take in the United States are we beginning to take notice of the moral tragedy that has been with Syria for many. many years. The civil war in Syria has resulted in the deaths of more than 300.000 people. It has created 4 million refugees and displaced more than 6.5 million people into places like Jordan and Turkeyand now. in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Sadly. it appears that the efforts that we have made. which my friend from Texas referred to. have been ineffectual. to put it mildly. and the situation grows worse. We watch now the Russians introducing military equipment into Syria. something that can only result in more violence. more death. and more refugees. We see. sadlyand I have watched this closely from my perch on the House Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceISIS gaining in strength. not losing strength. There are lots of conversations to be had about U.S. efforts to train and equip the socalled Syrian moderates.