Legislation to Stop Arming Terrorists Introduced in US Senate

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard earlier said “(w)hen it comes to the war against terrorists, I’m a hawk. When it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change, I’m a dove.”

In January, she called for ending Washington’s “regime change war in Syria now” – after spending a week-long visit to Damascus, Aleppo and Beirut, learning firsthand about ongoing horrors, devastating the lives and welfare of millions of Syrians, victims of US imperial viciousness.

Last December, her press release announced Stop Arming Terrorists legislation she introduced, saying it “would prohibit the US government from using American taxpayer dollars to provide funding, weapons, training, and intelligence support to groups like the Levant Front, Fursan al Ha and other allies of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda and ISIS, or to countries who are providing direct or indirect support to those same groups.”

On the House floor, she said “(u)nder US law it is illegal for any American to provide money or assistance to al-Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups.”

Yet the “CIA…funnel(s) weapons and money through Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and others who provide direct and indirect support to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.”

She wants this outrage stopped, US foreign interventionism against sovereign independent countries like Syria, Iraq and others ended.

On March 10, her press release said her “Stop Arming Terrorist Act has been introduced in the US Senate by Senator Rand Paul.”

“The bipartisan legislation (H.R.608 and S.532) would prohibit any Federal agency from using taxpayer dollars to provide weapons, cash, intelligence, or any support to al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups, and it will prohibit the government from funneling money and weapons through other countries who are directly or indirectly supporting terrorists.”

“Rather than spending trillions of dollars on regime change wars in the Middle East, we should be focused on defeating terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, and using our resources to invest in rebuilding our communities here at home.”

“The fact that American taxpayer dollars are being used to strengthen the very terrorist groups we should be focused on defeating should alarm every Member of Congress and every American. We call on our colleagues and the Administration to join us in passing this legislation.”

Legislation introduced prohibits use of federal funds to aid terrorist groups, including providing weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, intelligence, logistics, training and cash.

It forbids aiding nations involved in supporting terrorist groups. It requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to designate banned organizations by determining:

“(a) the individuals and groups that are associated with, affiliated with, adherents to or cooperating with al-Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, or ISIS;”

“(b) the countries that are providing assistance covered in this bill to those individuals or groups.”

It requires “the DNI to review and update the list of countries and groups to which assistance is prohibited every six months, in consultation with the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, as well as the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence” – along with “brief(ing) Congress on the determinations.”

Sadly, Gabbard and legislation co-sponsors are tilting at windmills, challenging powerful interests.

America’s military/industrial/media complex demands permanent imperial wars for wealth and dominance. Nothing stands in the way of pursuing them – neither laws, if enacted, or anything else.

Nonviolent grassroots revolution is the only chance for responsible change. Nothing else can work, voting a waste of time.