US officials visit opposition-held northwest Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Three Republican members of the US Congress made a rare visit to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria.
The purpose of their trip was to emphasize the significant support on Capitol Hill for the Syrian opposition and to urge the Biden administration and regional partners to maintain pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, reports noted.
They entered northwest Syria, which is run by the Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA), from Turkey through the Bab al-Salama crossing in Aleppo northern countryside.
The lawmakers met with opposition and humanitarian leaders during their one-hour visit and emphasized the need for a political resolution to the war.
The last recorded visit to Syria by a US lawmaker occurred in 2017, when Senator John McCain of Arizona visited American forces stationed in areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Prior to that, in the same year, Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii attracted criticism for her visit to Damascus, where she met with President Bashar Assad.