Syria Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Displaced Syrian Doctors Awarded Scholarships

Two displaced Syrian doctors have been awarded scholarships to attend the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Doctor's Exam Room

School officials announced Tuesday that Alfred Tager and Mohammad Darwish will begin attending this summer. Both are originally from Damascus.

Tager is currently a senior research associate at the Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute in Charleston, West Virginia.

Darwish is based in Lebanon with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, providing first aid training and disaster management.

The Bloomberg School and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health created the scholarships last year in response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Applications were accepted from displaced Syrian health care workers who wanted to learn new skills to help rebuild their country’s health care infrastructure when they are able to return.

W.Va. Congressional Delegation Backs Strikes in Syria

West Virginia’s congressional delegation today came out in support of President Donald Trump’s decision to take action in Syria.

Images of devastation began to surface earlier this week after what U.S. officials and observers described as a chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. An agreement was reached in 2013 with Assad and Russia that all chemical weapons in Syria be destroyed.

Senator Joe Manchin said after a decade of war in the Middle East, that he continues to believe America must carefully consider the implications of escalation. But he says, “yesterday’s strike was important to send a message to the Syrian regime and their Russian enablers that these horrific actions will not be tolerated.”

Senator Shelley – Moore Capito, and representatives David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins agreed. Mooney said on his Facebook Page that, “Bashar al-Assad has been put on notice.” Jenkins echoed those sentiments, saying “I support President Trump’s tactical strikes on the target that carried out this atrocious act and I look forward to this administration further engaging Congress in this matter.”

Should We Welcome Syrian Refugees to West Virginia?

W.Va. Delegate Joshua Nelson, R-Boone, has launched a petition seeking to stop Syrian refugees from coming into America, at least until better safeguards are in place.

His experience serving in the military informed his decision, he said.

“Most people in that area just want to live peaceful lives. I’ve served with Middle Eastern people, Islamic people, that had my back,” Nelson said

“But, in regards to what happened in Paris, these guys are posing as Syrian refugees. Until we are certain that (screening) process is adequate, we have to be very careful.”

Meanwhile, a fellow W.Va. Republican had the opposite reaction. Former Del. John Ellem, R-Wood, is willing to host a Syrian refugee family in his home. Ellem is of Syrian and Lebanese descent.

“Fear can be a powerful emotion. You collectively start labeling people,” Ellem said. “Syrians are not ISIS. They’re the victims of ISIS…Don’t let fear overwhelm you.”

What do you think? Should West Virginia welcome Syrian refugees at this time?

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Manchin Won't Support Arming Syrian Rebels

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin today delivered remarks on the Senate floor outlining why he opposes funding, arming or training Syrian opposition forces. The Senator says he will vote against a continuing resolution to fund the U.S. Government if the measure contains that language.

The senator said this should be an Arab ground war and a U.S. air war. But he will not support arming or training the Syrian opposition force.

“I would ask my colleagues to consider America’s history of intervention in the Middle East. It is not a successful one. Interventions have failed in Lebanon, Somalia, Libya and Iraq, and Afghanistan is on the brink of failure. What have we learned from our actions? Certainly not that going into Muslim countries to restore order or establish democracy is a winning strategy.”

Manchin notes that there needs to be a vote on a continuing resolution to keep the U.S. government operating, but resents that the resolution may also contain a measure to support Syrian rebels.

“I do not believe we should be forced to decide between funding our government and arming Syrian rebels. We should be ashamed for failing to pass appropriations bills to finance government operations for the fiscal year that starts two weeks from now. And more ashamed that, for the sake of expediency, we are using a stop-gap continuing resolution as a vehicle for authorizing major military activity. Asking us to make this choice is a disservice to the American people. But if that is a decision I am forced to make, it is one I am committed to making.”

The first vote in Congress on the President’s plan to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria will be made in the House.

Senator Manchin on ISIL: "Go and Get Them."

“Our message should be very clear: ‘Are you intending to do harm to America or any Americans? Are you planning or training any where in the world to do harm to America or Americans? If you are we have the ability and the right to come and take you out.’ Very simple. That should be very clear with what our mission is. And we shouldn’t have to mince words about that. We know that if someone says you shouldn’t go into Syria and that is where ISIL has been training, planning and plotting against America and Americans? Then go in and get them out.”

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin speaking with reporters Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Manchin proposes alternative to striking Syria

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) continues to lobby for a bill he’s cosponsoring with Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) promoting a diplomatic solution to problems in Syria.

Manchin and Heitkamp have proposed a joint resolution that would give Syria’s president 45 days to agree to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention and comply with its provisions. The Convention prohibits the development, stockpiling or use of chemical weapons and requires they be destroyed.

At this point Manchin opposes the Obama Administration’s proposed limited military strike.

“The question I continue to ask myself which I’m sure you all have and all American have and anyone you’ve asked, is there an imminent threat to our country and to our people. And I have found that to be absolutely not the case,” Manchin said.

Manchin said he decided to oppose immediate US military intervention after spending last week listening to all sides of the issue during Senate hearings.

“But I have to ask why are we the only ones going alone, why does it rise to the level that we should be the ones acting,” he said. “If the Arab League is not willing to go in and help their people if you will, and take the lead, if the rest of the international community has not come to the aid and not willing to come to the aid for different reasons why should we.”

Manchin said the resolution also requires the Obama administration to work at finding a diplomatic solution to preventing Syria from using chemical weapons again.