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[Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E1657-E1658] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] INTRODUCING THE STOP ARMING TERRORISTS ACT OF 2016 ______ HON. TULSI GABBARD of hawaii in the house of representatives Thursday, December 8, 2016 Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, under U.S. law it is illegal for any American to provide money or assistance to al Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups. If you or I gave money, weapons or support to al- Qaeda or ISIS, we would be thrown in jail. Yet the U.S. government has been violating this law for years, quietly supporting allies and partners of al Qaeda, ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham and other terrorist groups with money, weapons, and intelligence support, in their fight to overthrow the Syrian government. The CIA has also been funneling weapons and money through Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and others who provide direct and indirect support to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. This support has allowed al- Qaeda and their fellow terrorist organizations to establish strongholds throughout Syria, including in Aleppo. A recent New York Times article confirmed that ``rebel groups'' supported by the U.S. ``have entered into battlefield alliances with the affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria, formerly known as Al Nusra.'' This alliance has rendered the phrase ``moderate rebels'' meaningless. Reports confirm that ``every armed anti-Assad organization unit in those provinces [of Idlib and Aleppo] is engaged in a military structure controlled by [al-Qaeda's] Nusra militants.'' A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that many rebel groups are ``doubling down on their alliance'' with al Nusrah. Some rebel groups are renewing their alliance, while others, like Nour al-Din al- Zinki, a former CIA-backed group and one of the largest factions in Aleppo, are joining for the first time. ``The Syria Conquest Front--formerly known as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front--is deeply intermingled with armed opposition groups of all stripes across Syria's battlefields.'' The CIA has long been supporting a group called Fursan al Haqq, providing them with salaries, weapons and support, including surface to air missiles. This group is cooperating with and fighting alongside an al-Qaeda affiliated group trying to overthrow the Syrian government. The Levant Front is another so-called moderate umbrella group of Syrian opposition fighters. Over the past year, the United States has been working with Turkey to give this group intelligence support and other forms of military assistance. This group has joined forces with al-Qaeda's offshoot group in Syria. This madness must end. We must stop arming terrorists. The Government must end this hypocrisy and abide by the same laws that apply to its' citizens. That is why I've introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists bill-- legislation based on congressional action during the Iran-Contra affair to stop the CIA's illegal arming of rebels in Nicaragua. It will prohibit any Federal agency from using taxpayer dollars to provide weapons, cash, intelligence, or any support to al Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups, and it will prohibit the government from funneling money [[Page E1658]] and weapons through other countries who are directly or indirectly supporting terrorists. ____________________