Syria is engaged in a civil war between those loyal to the government of Bashar al-Assad and those who wish to oust him. This struggle began with peaceful protests in 2011 and escalated into bloodshed a month later when government soldiers fired on demonstrators throughout the country. Following months of military action, these protests evolved into an armed civil rebellion. This conflict has no clear front lines, with clashes taking place in many cities and towns. The rebel ranks, composed of ex-soldiers, foreign fighters and civilian volunteers are without centralized leadership. In 2016, the UN estimated this conflict’s death toll at 400,000 people, at least half of which are civilians and children. According to the UN, at least 6.2 million Syrians have been displaced within their country and 5.6 million people have fled to other nations.

In 2014, under threat of U.S. attack, Assad agreed to the destruction of his chemical weapon stockpiles which had been used against civilians. However, since this action, the West has retreated from its involvement in Syria’s civil war to concentrate on defeating ISIS - while Assad received assistance from Hezbollah, Iran and Russia. Despite this help, Assad’s forces were still losing ground until Russia decided to enter the conflict in 2015. Russia said its forces are fighting ISIS but observers say the vast majority of its air strikes are targeting anti-Assad groups.

Proposed Legislation: H.R.1706 - No Assistance for Assad Act (116th Congress)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL)