Kaptur Discusses Iraq Policy on C-SPAN
September 18, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 18, 2014) - Congresswoman Kaptur said this morning on C-SPAN that the United States should develop a robust diplomatic and military strategy to counter the ISIL radicals in Iraq and Syria and should seek out "legitimate Sunni tribal leaders" who have been excluded from the political conversation in Iraq.
Kaptur yesterday voted in favor of arming Syrian rebels against the ISIL radical movement that has captured territory both in Iraq and Syria.
"It is important for the United States to be clear on where we stood in terms of ISIL and their gruesome and barbaric tactics," while avoiding involvement in a Mideast civil war, Kaptur said on the "Morning Journal" program.
"The ISIL threat is a reactionary manifestation of the exclusion of Sunnis from the politics of Iraq itself. I view that as critical to both providing counterforce in the region and to being politically representative inside that society. If we actually end up taking sides in a civil war, inadvertently supporting Iran inside of Iraq because we have taken sides, we will lose the Arab Gulf, which is predominately Sunni," she said.
Kaptur noted the difficulty of assembling a coalition as a counterforce to ISIL due to the U.S. opposition to the regime of Bashar el-Assad in Syria. "My concern," she said, "is that because of the insularity of the Baghdad embassy some the legitimate voices that should be being heard have been excluded inside Iraq and have not been heard."
Kaptur serves as a member of the defense subcommittee of House Appropriations.
Kaptur yesterday voted in favor of arming Syrian rebels against the ISIL radical movement that has captured territory both in Iraq and Syria.
"It is important for the United States to be clear on where we stood in terms of ISIL and their gruesome and barbaric tactics," while avoiding involvement in a Mideast civil war, Kaptur said on the "Morning Journal" program.
"The ISIL threat is a reactionary manifestation of the exclusion of Sunnis from the politics of Iraq itself. I view that as critical to both providing counterforce in the region and to being politically representative inside that society. If we actually end up taking sides in a civil war, inadvertently supporting Iran inside of Iraq because we have taken sides, we will lose the Arab Gulf, which is predominately Sunni," she said.
Kaptur noted the difficulty of assembling a coalition as a counterforce to ISIL due to the U.S. opposition to the regime of Bashar el-Assad in Syria. "My concern," she said, "is that because of the insularity of the Baghdad embassy some the legitimate voices that should be being heard have been excluded inside Iraq and have not been heard."
Kaptur serves as a member of the defense subcommittee of House Appropriations.