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| Cruz campaign's Virginia co-chair visits Syria and pledges to back Assad | Cruz campaign's Virginia co-chair visits Syria and pledges to back Assad |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign co-chairman in Virginia has traveled to Syria and promised support for the government of president Bashar Assad, whom US officials have repeatedly said has lost the legitimacy to rule the war-torn country. | |
| Virginia state senator Dick Black’s trip to a Middle Eastern country in the midst of a civil war and his comments in the face of official US foreign policy are highly unusual for a state lawmaker. | Virginia state senator Dick Black’s trip to a Middle Eastern country in the midst of a civil war and his comments in the face of official US foreign policy are highly unusual for a state lawmaker. |
| Related: Ted Cruz names Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential running mate | Related: Ted Cruz names Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential running mate |
| Black, an outspoken Republican, is a part-time state senator who has no role in official US foreign policy. Still, he has met with Assad government officials and said he would advocate for better relationships between Assad and the US, according to the official Syrian news agency. | Black, an outspoken Republican, is a part-time state senator who has no role in official US foreign policy. Still, he has met with Assad government officials and said he would advocate for better relationships between Assad and the US, according to the official Syrian news agency. |
| “I will be Syria’s voice,” Black said, according to the news agency. | “I will be Syria’s voice,” Black said, according to the news agency. |
| Unlike his GOP rivals, Cruz has been less than eager to use military force to take out the Assad government. | Unlike his GOP rivals, Cruz has been less than eager to use military force to take out the Assad government. |
| “If we are to defeat our enemies, we need to be clear-eyed that toppling a government and allowing radical Islamic terrorists to take over a nation is not benefiting our national security interests,” Cruz said at the Republican Jewish Coalition forum in December, referring to Barack Obama’s Syria policy goals. “Putting Isis or al-Qaida or the Muslim Brotherhood in charge of yet another state in the Middle East is not benefiting our national security.” | “If we are to defeat our enemies, we need to be clear-eyed that toppling a government and allowing radical Islamic terrorists to take over a nation is not benefiting our national security interests,” Cruz said at the Republican Jewish Coalition forum in December, referring to Barack Obama’s Syria policy goals. “Putting Isis or al-Qaida or the Muslim Brotherhood in charge of yet another state in the Middle East is not benefiting our national security.” |
| The Cruz campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Black’s trip to Syria. | The Cruz campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Black’s trip to Syria. |
| Black was also recently elected to be a Virginia delegate at the Republican national committee’s convention this summer. He is one of the most vocal social conservatives in Virginia’s general assembly, and has drawn national attention for his opposition to abortion and gay rights. The former Vietnam war veteran and military lawyer dismayed Republican leaders in 2003 by sending fellow lawmakers small, plastic likenesses of a fetus to underscore his opposition toward abortion. | Black was also recently elected to be a Virginia delegate at the Republican national committee’s convention this summer. He is one of the most vocal social conservatives in Virginia’s general assembly, and has drawn national attention for his opposition to abortion and gay rights. The former Vietnam war veteran and military lawyer dismayed Republican leaders in 2003 by sending fellow lawmakers small, plastic likenesses of a fetus to underscore his opposition toward abortion. |
| The state senator raised eyebrows in 2014 when he sent a letter to Assad praising him. It was posted on the Syrian president’s Facebook page. | The state senator raised eyebrows in 2014 when he sent a letter to Assad praising him. It was posted on the Syrian president’s Facebook page. |
| Black is expected to meet with Assad during his visit, the Syrian newspaper al-Watan reported. | Black is expected to meet with Assad during his visit, the Syrian newspaper al-Watan reported. |
| Syria’s conflict began with mostly peaceful protests in 2011, but a brutal government crackdown and the rise of an armed insurgency eventually plunged the country into a full-blown civil war. The fighting has killed more than 250,000 people, according to the United Nations, which stopped tracking casualties several months ago. | Syria’s conflict began with mostly peaceful protests in 2011, but a brutal government crackdown and the rise of an armed insurgency eventually plunged the country into a full-blown civil war. The fighting has killed more than 250,000 people, according to the United Nations, which stopped tracking casualties several months ago. |
| Black has said Assad protected Christians and fought terrorist groups. On his Twitter account, Black said he supported Assad because he is stemming the growth of Isis. | Black has said Assad protected Christians and fought terrorist groups. On his Twitter account, Black said he supported Assad because he is stemming the growth of Isis. |
| “If Assad falls, Isis will secure Syria and march on Europe,” the tweet said. Last year, Black said the Virginia capitol police alerted him to a threat against him by Isis for his support of Assad. The state senator was featured in a magazine published by the group. | “If Assad falls, Isis will secure Syria and march on Europe,” the tweet said. Last year, Black said the Virginia capitol police alerted him to a threat against him by Isis for his support of Assad. The state senator was featured in a magazine published by the group. |
| Black posted a link on Twitter on Wednesday to article written by an Iranian state-run TV news agency, which quoted Black as saying the Syrian civil war would “come to an end if the US stops training terrorists in Jordan, Saudi Arabia” and other countries. | Black posted a link on Twitter on Wednesday to article written by an Iranian state-run TV news agency, which quoted Black as saying the Syrian civil war would “come to an end if the US stops training terrorists in Jordan, Saudi Arabia” and other countries. |
| Related: Syria peace talks founder after dispute over transitional government | Related: Syria peace talks founder after dispute over transitional government |
| US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Black “is entitled to his views, but they do not reflect this administration’s policy on Syria”. | US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Black “is entitled to his views, but they do not reflect this administration’s policy on Syria”. |
| Black met with a Lebanese Christian politician allied with the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, which is fighting alongside Assad’s forces in Syria, the TV news agency reported. | Black met with a Lebanese Christian politician allied with the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, which is fighting alongside Assad’s forces in Syria, the TV news agency reported. |
| Both the Iranian state-run TV news agency and the official Syrian news agency erroneously referred to Black as a US senator. | Both the Iranian state-run TV news agency and the official Syrian news agency erroneously referred to Black as a US senator. |
| Word of Black’s travels drew mockery from political opponents. | Word of Black’s travels drew mockery from political opponents. |
| “Doesn’t surprise me one bit,” said Dick Saslaw, the Virginia senate minority leader. He added that Black shouldn’t be trying to meddle in foreign affairs and said Republicans “would be raising holy hell if the situation was reversed”. | “Doesn’t surprise me one bit,” said Dick Saslaw, the Virginia senate minority leader. He added that Black shouldn’t be trying to meddle in foreign affairs and said Republicans “would be raising holy hell if the situation was reversed”. |