NEW YORK – In an unexpected development, a U.S. Senator named Rand Paul has introduced ‘Stop Arming Terrorists Act (S. 532) ‘ in Senate urging government to stop supporting militants working under the ambit of al-Qaeda, ISIS and other groups.
According to a press release issued on Friday, the legislation serves as a companion bill to H.R. 608, which Representative Tulsi Gabbard submitted in December and reintroduced in January.
‘One of the unintended consequences of nation-building and open-ended intervention is American funds and weapons benefiting those who hate us. This legislation will strengthen our foreign policy, enhance our national security, and safeguard our resources’ said Dr. Paul.
Tulsi Gabbard, who blatantly blew the lid off US policies for vested interests believes that the US government has been spending hefty amount of money on insurgent groups including the most violent al-Qaeda and ISIS for regime changes in middle east and particularly in Syria.
‘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’ said Rep. Gabbard.
‘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’ added Gabbard.
The legislation, if sails through Senate would be a mighty blow to the US administration that has been ostensibly fighting terrorism as per Paul and Gabbard’s observation.
The crux of ‘Stop Arming Terrorists’ Act is that it intended to bar U.S. federal government to bolster terrorists by making it illegal to supply them weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, intelligence, logistics, training, and cash.
Not only US administration has been urged to retreat on supporting militant groups but other countries found to be doing the same should also be left high and dry.
The act seeks nod of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to categorically declare the individuals and groups as under as ‘terrorists’.
(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.
‘Stop Arming Terrorists’ Act aims review of the declared ‘terrorists’ groups bi-annually by joint collaboration of DNI with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on Intelligence.
Not only that, DNI should apprise Congress of its determinations and findings in a bid to make the process transparent.
The legislation follows Tulsi Gabbard’s outburst against US administration when in December she openly exposed the US policy of arming terrorists.
“Under U.S. law it is illegal for any American to provide money or assistance to al-Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups. If you or I gave money, weapons or support to al-Qaeda or ISIS, we would be thrown in jail. Yet the U.S. government has been violating this law for years, quietly supporting allies and partners of al-Qaeda, ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham and other terrorist groups with money, weapons, and intelligence support, in their fight to overthrow the Syrian government,” she said according to a press release issued by her office on December 8.
Gabbar took to Twitter when Obama was in office and demanded to thwart military assistance to subversive elements that America on one end vows to eliminate.
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/808103826939117568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Rand’s bill would now come under discussion and American senators are set to defend or advocate the bill hinting at more shocking disclosures during the discussion.
