Of a quorum. Mister president i rise today to address the Current Situation in syria. First i welcome the Vice President announcement of a ceasefire which will prevent further loss of life. That is a central question those that were not negotiated before the president could go to m the troops so what is happened over the past seven days since us announced a withdrawal. And russia has assumed control of the previous military positions in the us has been forced to bomb their own facilities to prevent appropriation by russia and turkey. Now that is being portrayed as a victory. It is far from a victory. Serious questions remain how that decision was reached with that withdrawal and why the decision was reached given the initial details of the ceasefire agreement the Administration Must explain the future role and why turkey will face no consequences and the ceasefire does not change the fact that it has been an ally adding insult to dishonor it speaks cavalierly and fluently even as the ally has suffered death and casualty. We know the truth about our kurd allies they lost 11000 combatants in a joint effort to combat isis. T we drop bombs in the air the kurds lost thousands of lives 86 brave americans also lost lives tragically. It is argued they were fighting for themselves. Of course they were. Thats the nature of an alliance. We fight together each pursuing our own tsu vital sinterest. America leaves no soldiers behind, often a great trust we recover our dead and wounded in freemen and women who are held captive. This is a matter of american honor and promise. So as we stand by our allies we do not abandon our friends the decision to abandon the kurds violates one of the most sacred duties to strike at american honor. What we have done to the kurds will stand as a bloodstain in american history. There are broad strategic implications of the decision as i well. Iranian and russian interest of the middle east have been advanced at a time we were applying maximumn pressure giving a stronger hand in syria we have weakened the pressure. Rushes objective plays a greater role in the middle middle east has been impacted the kurds out of desperation have now aligned with assad so now americas diminished with russia and iran and assad are strengthened. So i ask how and why this decision was reached. Relations Committee Given this urgent undertaken i might be forgiven for wondering why my Committee Even exist. I say this because l apparently the decision to leave syria was made without consultation of the committee or the Committee Chairman or ranking member. Just three weeks ago the subcommittee held a hearing to receive the extensive analysis of the conditions in syria presented to us by a serious study group a bipartisan congressionally mandated commission tasked with providing the in death this one in depth o assessment and to provide american strategy Going Forward as far as i am aware they made no effort to contact those who attended the hearing or speak with a serious study group to understand the extensive published report. I ask if it is a position of the administration the United States senate a body of 100 people representing both Political Parties is to be entirely absent of the decisions of the magnitude just taken in syria. As some argue we shouldnt be there inin the first place because there was not a vote taken to be over there, i disagree this gives the president Legal Authority and funding to fight against terrorist in syria. However even if her argument you believe no authorization was given, that is irrelevant as to the withdrawal once we have aligned with the kurd kurds, committed to defend them and to together defeatp isis. Once you jumped in the ocean to save a drowning soul you dont turn around with the excuse you dont have to jump in in the first place. Others argue we should just get out of a messy situation and the middle east just let them have at it. There is a certain logic to that position as well but that only applies to the original n decision once we engaged and made thosemi commitments honor as well as selfinterest demand it has been suggested turkey calls americas bluff tell them we were coming to matter what we did. That so we should know that. Commitment to stop and ask for his. Perhaps to save money. I find these reasons hard to square. We withdrew 1500 in syria and are adding 2,000 in saudi arabia and have some 60,000 troops in the middle east. For the sake of understanding why would we take the action so precipitously and not want our oulies and kurds what we are about to do and to also withdraw because they were able to start bombing within a mere hours and i simply dont understand why the administrationpl didnt explain that its unacceptable can we not insist that together the protection occurs and secures the prisoners and fixed a legitimate concern of turkey fas well . Was there no chance for diplomacy, are we so weak and enact diplomatically that turkey forced the hand of the United States of america i believe that its interpretive that public hearings are held after these questions and they are able to conduct them next week. I note in closing the ceasefire agreement is honored after turkey and its brutal killing. Ivbut i note i already lost and america honor had already been tarnished. We once abandoned a red line and now an ally. Mr. President , we need answers. What happened shouldnt happen again and we must take action to ensure that it does not