"The Stop Arming Terrorists Act"

 “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.[i]

“The CIA has also been funneling weapons and money through Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and others who provide direct and indirect support to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. This support has allowed al-Qaeda and their fellow terrorist organizations to establish strongholds throughout Syria, including in Aleppo.  

“A recent New York Times article confirmed that ‘rebel groups’ supported by the U.S. ‘have entered into battlefield alliances with the affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria, formerly known as al Nusra.’ This alliance has rendered the phrase ‘moderate rebels’ meaningless. Reports confirm that ‘every armed anti-Assad organization unit in those provinces [of Idlib and Aleppo] is engaged in a military structure controlled by [al-Qaeda’s] Nusra militants.’

“A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that many rebel groups are ‘doubling down on their alliance’ with al Nusra. Some rebel groups are renewing their alliance, while others, like Nour al-Din al-Zinki, a former CIA-backed group and one of the largest factions in Aleppo are joining for the first time. “The Syria Conquest Front—formerly known as the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front—is deeply intermingled with armed opposition groups of all stripes across Syria’s battlefields.” 

“The CIA has long been supporting a group called Fursan al Haqq, providing them with salaries, weapons and support, including surface to air missiles.  This group is cooperating with and fighting alongside an al-Qaeda affiliated group trying to overthrow the Syrian government. The Levant Front is another so-called moderate umbrella group of Syrian opposition fighters. Over the past year, the United States has been working with Turkey to give this group intelligence support and other forms of military assistance. This group has joined forces with al-Qaeda’s offshoot group in Syria."  Excerpt from the bill

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46001.htm

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Tulsi Gabbard - Bless her.  For the record SST supports this bill in the House of Representatives.  Those who disagree with me on this should feel free to express their opinions here.  Will the bill pass the House?  That is unlikely considering the bipartisan strength of the Borgist war party in the Congress.  pl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard 

Comments

[Outrage Beyon]

It's a great bill and reminiscent of the Boland Amenment. Those with reasonably long memories will recall how that law did nothing to prevent Reagan from committing treason by sending arms to the Ayatollah Khomeini, in order to fund his terrorist war in Nicaragua.

(In fact, the Syria proxy war bears a striking similarity to the Nicaragua "contra" war. Barry & Hillary did Reagan one better by knocking off Ghadafi and then stealing his weapons to send to Syria, rather than buying them from Libya.)

With all that said, I think this bill has zero chance of passing. Or if passed, zero chance of being enforced. If passed, the President will issue a signing statement saying that he can feel free to ignore it. The Israel lobby and their captured clique of Congressional warmongers will most likely defeat the bill.

Because after all, their terrorists are all "brave freedom fighters" and they want to keep on using them as proxy forces for regime change.

[The Twisted Genius]

I support this bill wholeheartedly. The logic is impeccable. Just the bill's name speaks volumes. Not only does the bill call on the U.S. to stop arming and supporting terrorists, it also calls for "Making it illegal for the U.S. government to provide assistance covered in the bill to any nation that has given or continues to give such assistance to terrorists." This would turn our Mid-East policy completely upside down or, more properly, right side up.

I took this from Tulsi's website:

"The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT-AL), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-48), and Thomas Massie (R-KT-04), and supported by the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and the U.S. Peace Council."

That's a pretty interesting mixture of progressive democrats and libertarian republicans. Rohrabacher, like Gabbard, is also an avid surfer. The surfboards that he and his wife used on their honeymoon hang in his House of Representatives office. Some say he's crazy as a loon. I agree with a lot, but not all, of his political stands. I've meet him a few times and admire him. He's a good man. I hope this is the beginning of a new coalition in Congress, one that assist Trump in keeping the Borg at bay.

[Annem]

As a newcomer to this blog, I would like to ask a simple question: What does BORG mean?

[JMGavin]

She is telling the truth, but The Narrative is louder.

DOL

JMG

[asx]

God bless Tulsi. As a follow up we immediately need these as well.

Stop Arming Saudis Act.
Stop Arming Qatar Act.
Stop Pretending Turkey is Reliable NATO ally Act.
Stop Funding Pakistani committment to Terror Act.
Stop Letting Middle East tails wag the dog Act.

And if Trump truly believes in a non-interventionist America First policy, who better can he have for his SoS than Tulsi?

Let's rid our Cargo Cultish devotion to funding moderate jihadis and lay the ghosts of Brezinski and Charlie Wilson to rest. We're long past the point where the blowback inflicts more damage to us than what these rats can do to others.

[jonst]

I support the bill too! I doubt it has a chance to pass. And I hope that Tulsi has few skeletons in her past. Because....she has made some enemies.

And pardon the off topic comment here...but I am amazed that the Obama Admin has, implicitly, confirmed the authenticity of the Wikileaks Clinton Data Dump. After all, if the Russians fabricated the documents, there would be no need to hack into the servers. This will prove interesting down the road I think. As the documents get studied in more depth.

This should not be read as me believing the reports of the Russian. I don't. But await first source material to review. But in any event, the Obama Admin has gone a long way to confirmation of their authenticity. And if that is a correct assumption on my part, this should raise questions about going back and reviewing the killing of the DNC worker on the streets of Washington. http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/08/11/wikileaks-founder-yeah-it-was-pretty-much-a-hit-on-that-dnc-staffer-who-have-been-my-source-for-dnc-emails-n2203815

[Emad]

Colonel,

Ms. Gabbard believes the USG has violated the law governing material support to foreign terrorist organizations (18 USC 2339). But that's not true. The USG has not violated this law. There's an exception (J) in 18 USC 2339:

No person may be prosecuted under this section in connection with the term "personnel," "training," or "expert advice or assistance" if the provision of that material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization was approved by the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Attorney General. The Secretary of State may not approve the provision of any material support that may be used to carry out terrorist activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act).

Basically, so long as SOS approves the support and the AG nods in agreement, the USG is free to give foreign terrorist organizations any material support it deems appropriate. The language at the end (no support to a foreign terrorist organization if it's to be used to carry terrorist activity) may not have been intended as such, but it's morphed into a bad joke, because any barely competent government lawyer can argue that a rebellion, insurrection or insurgency a la that waged by jihadists in Syria falls outside the strict definition of terrorist activity in 212(a)(3)(B)(iii). Problem solved.

Ms. Gabbard can try to close this loophole. But you know as well as I do that neither she nor anyone else for that matter can do that. At least not now. Setting aside the fact that governments fight tooth and nail to keep whatever broad authority they already have; covert and clandestine ops types at the DOD and CIA, plus a coterie of large (e.g. Dyncorp, Mantech and SAIC) and small (your friendly neighborhood VOSB) will lobby against removing loophole J so hard even BLM would find it patriotic to oppose its removal.

[mike allen]

Interesting that the two 'R' co-sponsors are Libertarians. How will the rest of the party vote?

[turcopolier]

Imad

I said that it is unlikely to pass. pl

[turcopolier]

annem

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2015/05/httpwwwreuterscomarticle20150518mideast-crisis-iraq-iduskbn0o20lt20150518.html

"Borg" is my shorthand for what Obama calls the foreign policy establishment in the government, academia, the military, media etc. This Borglike conglomerate operates on the basis of a massive group think consensus that is globalist, neo-liberal and R2P driven. The Borg has, of course larger policy implications than the IO business that I railed against in cited post. The Ziocons find it to be a useful tool, most of the time.

there is a search button on SST. pl

[turcopolier]

PA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee_Scouts

pl

[F-35]

Tulsi is the bravest soul in Washington, but hers is a lonely fight. Nurturing and supporting "good terrorists" is one of the main pillars of US foreign policy. It won't be surrendered.

[elaine]

Tulsi Gabbard also recently participated in the veterans protective ring on Sioux land
during the on going protest over the proposed oil pipeline. She's a very interesting person.

[crf]

From Star Trek. They are alien cyborgs (hence the name: borg) with a hive mind who either assimilate other cultures into their way, or destroy them.

[Lemur]

Gabbard is a good sort, and right wing when it counts too. I hope she eventually gets a job in the Trump administration.

[robt willmann]

The bill that Tulsi Gabbard introduced is H.R.6504. The text of the bill is not yet available on the Congressional website; she just filed it on 8 December, two days ago--

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6504/all-info?r=1

It has been referred to the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees.

Here is the extended, typed version of her introductory remarks on the House floor in the Congressional Record--

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2016/12/08/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E1657-3

And her press release on the bill is here--

https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/video-rep-tulsi-gabbard-introduces-legislation-stop-arming-terrorists

It is interesting that on her website, she often spells her state -- Hawai'i.

[Eric Newhill]

Tulsi Gabbard is going to be the first female President of the USA and I look forward to that day.

Excellent Bill and should be a no brainer to have it go all the way to Law.

[GF]

I contacted my Freedom Caucus representative - Paul Gosar Dist. 4 AZ. - to add his name to the co-sponsor list and back the bill.

[Ghostship]

You left out the full phrase "Washington Borg" aka Washington Establishment, Washington Elite, etc.

[Haralambos]

This explains the spelling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_language

[FkDahl]

For the future trial of ambassador Ford and his ilk
https://medium.com/@BradRHoff/islamic-state-leader-omar-al-shishani-fought-under-u-s-umbrella-as-late-as-2013-147354ea1b7f#.o9ynnbc2u

[BraveNewWorld]

I am a true fan of Tulsi. This bill is full of great intent. But I am sorry to say it is just shadows and dust. The US already has the "Leahy amendment" and politicians just ignore it with impunity along with all the rest of the laws.

The political class has to start being held legally responsible for their actions when they break the law. There is exactly 0 support for that on either side of the isle and in the current climate would be abused by both sides if it existed. I don't know how the US gets back to the rule of law for the rich and powerful but if you think of any thing let the rest of us know as your not alone in the erosion of accountability.

[Terry]

While the bill may not pass there is a real benefit to having this before Congress to raising public awareness and legitimize public dissent for regime change. In an earlier speech she mentioned "Great Turtle Island". This may be a first for the House floor.

[Allen Thomson]

Speaking of possibly good Members, anyone have an opinion about Will Hurd, aka My Congressman? A newbie that just won reelection, mostly has voted the Republican line but shows some interesting signs of independence. Also ex-CIA with an obvious interest in and some knowledge of national security matters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Hurd

[J]

Colonel,

Sadly I have to agree with you regarding the little chance of the legislation passing the war-party Borg in the Congress. Just like the little chance of the CIA being re-tooled to being HUMINT COLLECTION ONLY.

Did you see where an Iraqi woman [Saleh v. Bush] has filed in U.S. Courts (California) saying that former Pres Bush 2 and his administration personas broke the law when they planned and waged the Iraq war. The Iraqi woman Saleh alleges that Bush administration leaders committed the crime of aggression when they planned and executed the Iraq war, a war crime that was called the "supreme international crime" at the Nuremberg trials in 1946.

http://witnessiraq.com/2016/12/05/ninth-circuit-confirms-judges-who-will-hear-argument-on-legality-of-iraq-war/