Senator Marco Rubio took to the Senate floor to warn Americans that our national security is threatened by the takeover of several cities in Iraq by an Islamic terror group tied to al-Qaeda.
There’s a radical Islamic group by the name of ISIL, as it’s called, or ISIS according to some – it has different terminologies. But it’s a group linked to Al Qaeda that emerged in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein in western Iraq. They were involved in efforts against Americans after we liberated Iraq. They killed and maimed countless Americans. However, thanks to the assistance we provided, the Iraqis were able to put that group on a defensive posture.
After the United States left Iraq, however, many of this group was able to reorganize. They did so increasingly with new leadership, and they were able do it in parts of Syria that became largely ungoverned after the Assad regime began to lose control over large swaths of land in Syria. And they grew stronger. They grew stronger still when foreign fighters from all over the world, who sympathize with their Islamic jihadist cause, began flowing into Syria, providing them new fighters. And over the last few months, as I warned, by the way, in a hearing that we had late last year when we debated on the use of force in Syria. This group, based largely now in Syria, began to conduct operations in Iraq. Initially, to limited success, and then limited operations that had some success. But now, over the last 72 hours, they’ve begun to make dramatic gains in Iraq.
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Rubio laid out in stark terms the direct threat to U.S. security if the advance of ISIS is not halted sooner rather than later.
Why should this matter? Well, first, as when pointed out earlier, because Americans sacrificed greatly so that Iraq could be freed from tyranny. Now those gains seem to have evaporated almost overnight. But the most concerning long-term aspect of this is that in this part of the world, using territory in what was Syria and now Iraq, is the emergence of a safe haven. A safe haven is what made 9/11 possible. Al Qaeda was able to go into Afghanistan, then controlled by the Taliban – another radical Islamic group – and use it as place to train and plan 9/11, and other terrorist acts against the United States.
Perhaps one of the greatest successes in the post-9/11 efforts has been the denial of safe havens where terrorists could do this. But suddenly, rapidly, a new safe haven is emerging where radical jihadist fighters from all over the planet are able to go and be trained.
Rubio called on The White House to come to Congress immediately to work on a joint plan to confront this rapidly evolving threat to America’s security.