By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Congresswoman Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery spoke to the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce about the current crisis in Iraq as well as the VA scandal and other issues. Representative Roby told gathered Chamber members that she strongly supports military engagement to stop the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Chairman Roby said in a written statement afterwards, “What is transpiring in Iraq is pure evil, and America must act to stop it. Nobody wants another war, but we cannot ignore such blatant savagery. I strongly support military engagement to stop the advance of ISIS.”
ISIS emerged out of the chaos in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Sunni Muslims rose up against the government of President Bashir Al-Assad. ISIS was among the most radical elements in that movement. The group has seized large sections of Syria and the Anbar Province of Iraq including the second largest city in Iraq, Mosul.
The radical Islamic state has drawn global attention for its level of violence. The group has crucified Christians, beheaded children, publicly raped and beheaded Christian women, executed Yazidis whom they consider to be devil worshipers, seized Yazidi women as sex slaves, beheaded Sunni tribesmen who refused to join their movement, executed thousands of Iraqi POWs, beheaded children in front of their mothers, and has posted videotapes of these atrocities on the internet to use as a recruiting tool.
ISIS has declared themselves to be the authentic voice of global Islam and has announced a global caliphate called IS, The Islamic State. The Obama Administration has ordered the Navy to conduct limited air strikes to slow ISIS’s advance into Kurdistan. The Pentagon has also dropped water and food to tens of thousands of Yazidi refugees who are trapped behind the lines of the ISIS advance. 900 U.S. military troops are in Iraq to support the Kurds and the Iraqi Army.
Rep. Roby said after the Montgomery event, “So enjoyed visiting with my friends at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce at Eggs & Issues this morning! We covered various issues like middle class economic struggles, growing violence in Iraq and the negligence and mismanagement at Veterans Affairs facilities across the nation.”
Rep. Roby said, “On the VA: I’ve been pretty outspoken about this issue lately. Let me tell you why. When a taxpayer-funded government program is not working, it’s my job to fix it. We have a responsibility to these men and women who have served to protect us, and it’s been my goal to make sure this happens.”
Rep. Roby said, “So what’s next? I, along with Senator Shelby, have called on Secretary McDonald to visit CAVHCS with us and to develop a plan for reform. Additionally, I am so happy that our VA reform bill guarantees veterans’ access to the Patient-Centered Community Care Program, or PC3.”
Representative Roby vowed, “We cannot forget. We cannot allow the public to “move on” to the next story. Let me commit to you that I won’t stop. Not under any circumstances. I will not relent in my fight to expose misconduct at the VA, clean it up and get our veterans the care we promised them.”
Montgomery’s CAVHCS was listed in a report as one of the ten worst offenders in the U.S. Veterans Administration chain of hospitals for the practice of falsifying official records to make the VA appear to be doing a better job of caring for veterans than it was really doing. Reports indicate that hundreds of U.S. veterans actually died while on secret waiting lists after requesting service from the VA.
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
