Shaheen Urges Creation of Syria Study Group, Calls for "Top-to-Bottom Review" of U.S. Policy

**Independent review proposed by Shaheen would be led by experts and modeled after the Iraq Study Group**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter urging the establishment of a Syria Study Group to conduct a thorough review of U.S. policy towards the conflict in Syria. Her letter to the leadership of the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, the panel that funded a similar effort for Iraq, requests that the study group produce recommendations to achieve U.S. objectives in the region.

Her letter reads in part, “the U.S. should immediately undertake a top to bottom review of our policy with regards to the more than five-year-old conflict in Syria.” The letter continues, “Unfortunately, the U.S. has not made demonstrable progress in our efforts to negotiate an end to the Syrian civil war; rather, Bashar al-Assad has relied on support from Russia, Iran and Hizballah to perpetuate the conflict.”

“Given the stakes for the U.S. and our allies, I would strongly support the initiation of an independent, expert review of our overall policy in Syria highly similar to the Iraq Study Group.”    

The Iraq Study Group was a bipartisan panel established in 2006 by Congress and produced an extensive final report in December of that year. It was co-chaired by James Baker, a former Secretary of State, and Lee H. Hamilton, a former U.S. Representative.

Text of Senator Shaheen’s letter is below: 

February 21, 2017

The Honorable Lindsey Graham                                               

Chairman                                                                                            

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs                                                                                                                                           

The Honorable Patrick Leahy

Ranking Member

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Leahy,

I write today in the belief that the U.S. should immediately undertake a top to bottom review of our policy with regards to the more than five-year-old conflict in Syria.

In Syria, the U.S. has focused on defeating terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) through direct military action and support to partner forces on the ground.  At the same time, recognizing that the Syrian civil war sustains terrorist groups while exacting a horrific humanitarian toll on the Syrian people and threatening to destabilize U.S. allies, the U.S. has also sought a negotiated settlement which addresses the core demands of the Syrian people.  In my assessment, the counter-ISIS effort has made substantial progress, and I support President Trump’s decision to initiate a review to take stock of the ongoing campaign.  Unfortunately, the U.S. has not made demonstrable progress in our efforts to negotiate an end to the Syrian civil war; rather, Bashar al-Assad has relied on support from Russia, Iran and Hizballah to perpetuate the conflict. 

Given the stakes for the U.S. and our allies, I would strongly support the initiation of an independent, expert review of our overall policy in Syria highly similar to the Iraq Study Group.  As you know, this bipartisan panel was created in 2006 at the direction of Congress and facilitated by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).  In the span of about nine months, the Study Group produced a forward-looking assessment of the situation in Iraq, including recommendations to guide future policy decisions.  Importantly, the work of the Study Group was only made possible with support from the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. 

Today, I ask for your support in creating a Syria Study Group facilitated by USIP.  Such an effort would, I believe, allow Congress to support a policy approach that closes the current gap between U.S. goals and concrete U.S. commitments while ensuring that any escalation of U.S. involvement is not undertaken for its own sake but is part of a strategy to achieve critical U.S. objectives in Syria.

I look forward to working with the Subcommittee to determine how we might move this proposal to fruition and appreciate your consideration of my request.   

Sincerely,

Jeanne Shaheen

United States Senator

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