Washington, DC – Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY-17), author of the Syria Accountability Act of 2003, today called upon the Obama Administration to provide military support for the rebels fighting the Assad regime.

“The Assad regime has already killed 8,000 people in its brutal assault against its own people.  Now that a year has gone by, I think it’s time to support the rebels.  If we don’t, I fear thousands more will be killed.  The massacre of civilians will not bring stability, only more unrest.  But if we support the rebels now, there’s still a chance to end the brutality and bring down the Assad dynasty.

“I am aware that this strategy has risks and we must take concerns about widening the conflict seriously.  But, today, the Iranians and Russians are openly supporting Assad’s massacre squads.  The victims deserve a chance to fight back.  Moreover, the collapse of Bashar’s government in Damascus would be a body blow to Iran and to Hezbollah, which gets its largess from Teheran through Syria.  Let’s stand against repression and support the rebels.”

Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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