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A Telegram channel linked to jihadi factions fighting against the Bashar Al-Assad regime in Syria took aim at two U.S. Members of Congress for voting to lift the U.S. sanctions on the Syrian regime.
On July 18, four U.S. Republican lawmakers used separate measures known as privileged resolutions to require votes on whether to end longstanding emergency declarations involving Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[1]
The House overwhelmingly rejected the resolutions in a series of votes, after Republicans and Democrats warned that ending the emergencies would unfreeze the assets of militia leaders, arms dealers, and accused war criminals while denying compensation to U.S. victims of terrorism.
On July 20, an anti-Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Telegram channel published a poster showing the Capitol along with images of U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, along with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.[2] The Arabic text on the poster read: "Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar vote in favor of lifting the sanctions on Bashar Al-Assad [during a session held] in the U.S. Congress."
"Iran Is Pouring Money" To Reps. Omar And Tlaib
The post accused Reps. Omar and Tlaib of exploiting the suffering of Muslims in Somalia and the Palestinian territories and of accepting receiving financial support from Iran to serve its interests. "Those two dirty crones claim to support the oppressed people in Somalia and Palestine and criticize America for waging wars – while at the same time they voted for lifting sanctions on the most criminal regime in history! It is neither hypocrisy nor ideology – it is Iranian money poured into lobbying. However, their votes were overwhelmingly crushed."
Background
Reps. Omar and Tlaib voted "yea" on the termination of the national emergency declared by President George W. Bush on May 11, 2004, which blocked the property of certain persons and export of certain goods to Syria in response to Syria supporting terrorist activity in Iraq, among other activities.[3]
A screenshot from the U.S. Congress website showing the "yea" votes of Tlaib and Omar on July 18, 2023.
Earlier, on July 12, the two representatives jointly introduced the "Justice for Syrians Resolution" bill aimed at "directing the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) to use the vote and influence of the United States to establish an international justice mechanism to finally hold Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity."[4]
A screenshot showing the joint bill introduced by Omar and Tlaib on July 13, 2023.
[1] Reuters.com, July 18, 2023.
[2] Telegram, July 20, 2023.
[3] Congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/79 last accessed on July 21, 2023.
[4] Tlaib.house.gov/posts/tlaib-introduces-bill-to-hold-assad-accountable-for-crimes-against-humanity, last accessed on July 21, 2023.
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