Washington D.C. – Today, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hearing on President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. military forces from Syria.  The hearing will examine President Trump’s decision to remove U.S. forces from Syria and the resulting consequences for U.S. national security.  The hearing will also address the humanitarian crisis resulting from Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria.

WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

WHEN: Wednesday, October 23, 2019

TIME: 2:00 p.m. EST

A livestream of the hearing will be available here.

BACKGROUND

On October 6, 2019, after speaking with Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President Trump announced that a Turkish incursion into northeast Syria was imminent and that U.S. forces would not be involved in that operation. Shortly thereafter, Turkey launched an operation into northern Syria to clear Kurdish forces from its southern border. On October 13, Secretary of Defense Esper announced that President Trump had ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria.

WITNESSES

Bernice Romero, Senior Director, International Humanitarian Response- Save the Children

Ilham Ahmed, Accompanied by Translator, Co-President - Syrian Democratic Council

Martin Palmer, Former Special Forces Officer - 5th Special Forces Group

Emerita Torres, Director of Programs and Research - Soufan Center