Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the growing number of attacks on civilians in Idlib, Syria:

“I strongly condemn the Assad regime’s horrific assault against the Syrian people in and around Idlib.  The regime and its backers—Russia and Iran—have bombed civilian hospitals, clinics, shelters and residential areas.  These are clear violations of international law and must cease immediately. I also condemn the Assad regime’s unwarranted February 3 attack on Turkish observation posts, which killed multiple Turkish military personnel. The Assad regime and its backers have created unprecedented suffering and a humanitarian catastrophe, flagrantly violating established de-escalation efforts.

“This is exactly why I wrote the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which requires sanctions on anyone who continues to provide financial, material or technological support to the Assad regime. It is time for the Trump Administration to put this law to use. At the same time, the administration should lift the cruel travel ban on desperate people trying to get out of Syria and pressure President Erdogan to allow those fleeing to enter Turkey.”

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