Representative Ralph Abraham (R-Ala.) made a surprise visit this week to Syria and met with U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters and American aid workers.
“The purpose of my trip was to express my deep concerns for the safety of Christians and other persecuted minorities in the region as well as my support for self-governance among the Kurds,” Abraham wrote in an email to The Hill.
Syrian Defense Force General Commander Mazloum Abdî posted a video of his meeting with Abraham on Twitter.
Very interest meeting with Congressman @RepAbraham who just ended his visit to Raqqa, Manbij and Tal Tamr.
The specific topics we discussed: Security in Raqqa, impact of coalition withdrawal on stability there, IDPs-camps, the fight against ISIS and continued Turkish attacks. pic.twitter.com/lusTHQvHqF— Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) February 20, 2020
The situation among the Kurds, as well as several ethnic and religious minorities, became more serious after the Turks invaded northeastern Syria in October following the withdrawal of U.S. troops in the region.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Oct. 16, 2019, condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria.
The resolution stated that the House was “opposing the decision to end certain United States efforts to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast Syria.”
Abraham, who is in favor of self-governance of the Kurds, did not vote in favor of the resolution rebuking the troop withdrawal from Syria.
“I support this president,” Abraham reportedly told the Louisiana News-Star. “As a congressman, I think it’s my job to bring back the right information so hopefully we can find a political solution.”
“America’s presence always matters,” he said. “It’s important that the U.S. has a presence because if we don’t Russia and Turkey will keep taking territory, but there needs to be an international solution.”
Epoch Times reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this article.