In response to the recent increase in militant activity in Iraq, legislators pressed the Obama administration to increase support in the region and to intervene amid escalating violence.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said it was “devastating” to see terrorist groups take over large cities in Iraq en route to Baghdad.
“For months, we’ve seen this al-Qaeda affiliate capture and hold areas in Syria and Iraq, while increasing its personnel, funding and weapons,” Royce said. “Terrorist camps operated openly on Iraqi soil. It’s baffling that for months the Obama administration denied Iraq requests to target these al-Qaeda camps with drones. (On Thursday) an entire region is in flames. Terrorist groups are gaining strength, and Iraq’s energy output, critical to world markets, is in jeopardy.”
Royce said Iranian-backed Shi’a militias have fueled the conflicts, which could have global implications that affect U.S. interests.
“The Iraqi government is far from perfect,” Royce said. “(Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki) has been a big part of the problem. Only the Iraqis can control their future. But if we don’t want to see an Iraq with large swaths of territory under militant control, and we shouldn’t, we should answer Iraqi requests to target these al-Qaeda terrorists with drone strikes.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, called for U.S. military engagement in Iraq in response to reports that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces are taking over Iraqi cities.
“Seeing cities that American troops fought so hard for fall into the hands of terrorists is absolutely heartbreaking, and we must act decisively if we hope to prevent further chaos throughout the region,” Kinzinger, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. “ISIS’ next target is Baghdad, and if the city falls, these extremists will have a foothold from which to promote the growth of terrorism across the entire Middle East. It is time for President Obama to order air and drone strikes against ISIS forces, and deploy special operations teams to work with our Iraqi allies to strategically strike the enemy where they are most vulnerable.”
Kinzinger called for U.S. intervention when Fallujah fell in January and said it wasn’t to late to reverse “tragic” consequences of U.S. foreign policies.