The newly elected, majority Republican Congress will pressure the Obama administration to formulate a more strategic approach to the Islamic State (ISIS) and how America aids the Kurds and other minority groups, Middle East expert Walid Phares said Thursday on "America’s Forum" on
Newsmax TV.
"That strategic issue begins in Iraq with the issue of arming and helping and training Kurds and minorities,” Phares said. “In Syria, making sure that those we are vetting in the Syrian opposition are really anti-jihadist at the same time.
"We don't want to train and arm those who are going to replace ISIS and then you know, we're going to discover that they are jihadists as well," he said.
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"But the most important development in foreign policy that Congress needs to do is to look at the other side of the Middle East,
what's happening with the Iranian regime, and I would strongly suggest that the new lawmakers or the new Congress — all the new lawmakers — will put pressure on the administration to stop that deal with the Iranian regime until we have evidence that they are changing course."
Phares said that "very few American know that over the past nine months, the administration sent about $1 billion from frozen Iranian assets to the regime," which, in turn, is using the money for terrorist activities to expand in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
"This is a very dangerous and reckless policy on behalf of the administration, and Congress can put a stop to this," Phares said.
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