Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement on his decision to vote against an amendment that would authorize the training and equipping of ‘moderate’ Syrian
rebels:
"The House voted today to back President Obama’s deeply flawed mission to arm Syrian rebels – purportedly to stop the Islamic State. I voted against this effort because the Syrian rebels this President wants to continue arming and training has strong ties to the very group that we are supposedly fighting.
Though President Obama says the Islamic State is not religious, their radical Islamist leaders are apparently unaware of that. The leadership of the Free Syrian Army says that they are willing to fight and kill alongside the Islamic State, who they say shares their religious beliefs. The Islamists that President Obama wants to keep arming have also worked with al Qaeda affiliates in the past and will in the future.
Even if someone is naive as this administration's officials, they should have become alarmed long before now that weapons this President has been sending to the "vetted moderate Free Syrian Army" for over a year continue to end up in the hands of our sworn enemies. America should have no part in arming and training these radical armies. Since the Islamist State says they are at war with us, we should eliminate them without giving our enemies more weapons with which to murder us."
Congressman Louie Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. He also served as Chief Justice of Texas'12th Court of Appeals.
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