Press Releases
Ranking Member Ruppersberger Statement on ISIL
Washington, DC,
August 26, 2014
For Immediate Release Contact: Allison Getty Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Ranking Member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on ISIL. “I share in the relief of the Curtis family as their son, American journalist Peter Theo Curtis, was released over the weekend after being held in Syria for two years by the Nusrah Front, the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. However, last week, the world was appalled by the beheading of American journalist, James Foley, who had been kidnapped and held in Syria for the past two years by the even more vicious Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). I am heartened to see U.S. and British law enforcement and intelligence working together to identify the killers and try to bring them to justice. A number of Americans are still being held in Syria and the U.S. must continue working to rescue them. ISIL is a vicious, dangerous, and formidable terrorist group. Although it has proven its brutality by committing atrocities, it has also shown great capabilities in strategic planning, building advantageous alliances, and disseminating persuasive propaganda. ISIL has capitalized on regional instability and continues to recruit foreign fighters, including Americans and Europeans who have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight with ISIL. This poses a great threat to the U.S. As the U.S. carries out targeted airstrikes against ISIL and provides humanitarian assistance, we call on Iraqi leaders to work together to forge a new inclusive government that represents the interests of all Iraqis. On Friday, Secretary Kerry spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and urged him to form a new inclusive cabinet quickly. The U.S. is providing urgent assistance to the Iraqi government so that it can more effectively fight ISIL. I am encouraged by the brave actions of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, fighting back against ISIL. Additionally, we see Syrian opposition groups fighting both the Assad regime as well as taking up arms against ISIL. The House Intelligence Committee continues to receive daily updates on ISIL developments in Iraq and Syria. I appreciate the Administration’s consultation with Congress prior to starting the airstrikes. I look forward to working with the Administration as we continue to address this serious threat.” ### To unsubscribe/ subscribe to Democratic Committee email updates, click here to update your preferences. |