Udall Supports Effort to Arm, Train Syria Opposition Forces to Help Defeat ISIL

Statement

Mark Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the upcoming vote on whether to arm and support moderate Syria opposition forces in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant:

"ISIL must be stopped. ISIL is a brutal and sophisticated extremist group that has shown it will stop at nothing to terrorize and threaten Americans and our interests. As a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, keeping Americans safe always is my number one priority. I strongly supported a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act earlier this year to allow the Pentagon to vet, train and equip Syrian opposition units. I again will support that effort as part of the continuing resolution this week," Udall said. "We can and will defeat ISIL, but the fight on the ground must be waged by moderate opposition forces, which is why this proposal and its safeguards to ensure those forces are reliable and accountable is so important."

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