WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on developments in Iraq:

“Following more than a decade of training Iraqi military forces, it’s disappointing to see the deteriorating situation in Iraq. It’s time for the Iraqi people to take responsibility for the security and sustainability of their own country. If peace and cooperation are to be achieved, Prime Minister Maliki must move immediately toward a more inclusive power-sharing government. This war has been a long and painful chapter for the people of Iraq and the people of the United States. 

“I voted against granting President Bush the authority to invade Iraq in 2003 and I strongly oppose additional forces on the ground today. Rather, the U.S. must act together with the international community to achieve our common goals of a stable Iraq and preventing the entrenchment of extremists. Violent groups like ISIL that seek to spread their extremist activity, are primary examples of why legislation such as the Syrian War Crimes Act of 2014 is critical to U.S. national security and greater stability in the Middle East.”

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2014, legislation establishing a Syria-specific standard of reporting and accountability for crimes against humanity.

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