NASHVILLE, TENN. – Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) gave the following statement on the Administration’s decision to withdraw American troops from Northern Syria:

“For the past several years, American forces have fought alongside our Kurdish allies in Syria to provide safety and security to the region. As the Syrian people seek stability post-conflict, we ought not to give ISIS any room to regain territory. Syria’s location leaves it vulnerable to adversaries, and an American presence preserves the possibility for peace.” – Senator Marsha Blackburn

BACKGROUND

On January 31, 2019, Senators Blackburn and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) requested that President Trump “develop and implement a strategy to help protect the security and diplomatic equities of our Kurdish partners serving in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during and after the withdrawal of United States military forces from Syria.” The full letter may be found here.

Senator Blackburn included a provision in the Senate-passed 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to support the U.S. partnership with the Kurds in Syria.

The largest Kurdish diaspora in the United States is in Nashville, Tennessee.