House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith made the following statement in response to the President’s speech on ISIL: 

“ISIL poses an existential threat to our allies in the region and, if left unchecked, it will become a direct threat to the United States. These cowards have already killed two unarmed American journalists and thousands of innocent Muslims. Their allegiance is to a perverted vision of Islam that justifies the killing of innocent people and this threat must be confronted in a holistic and forceful way. Tonight, the President laid out an aggressive and appropriate course of action to address the threat posed by ISIL.

“This is a fight against violent extremists – it is not a conflict between Sunnis, Shiites and the West - and any action against ISIL must be supported by a broad coalition of nations, which the President is aggressively pulling together. The Sunni countries in the region must play a key role in confronting this Sunni extremist group. 

“Any military action must also be complimented by a political strategy that leads to the inclusion of marginalized Sunni populations in Iraq. ISIL is primarily comprised of Sunni extremists, but it does not represent the beliefs and aspirations of the vast majority of the Sunni population. To undermine ISIL and achieve a lasting solution, the government in Iraq must include Sunnis. I applaud the Administration for continuing to make this a center piece or their strategy and I am encouraged by recent progress. Much more work remains to be done on this front.  

“ISIL is not confined to historically recognized boarders and any strategy to defeat ISIL must recognize that reality. That is why I support the Administration’s request to support moderate Syrian fighters.  If we are to be successful in Syria as well as Iraq, we must have a capable partner on the ground. At this point in time we do not have that partner and so we should be working to develop the capabilities of moderate elements within Syria. 

“We must also be working to counter ISIL’s extremist message. This is not just a kinetic war – it is an ideological war. The distorted and manipulated version of Islam that groups like ISIL espouse must be countered and met with truth. 

“This is an extraordinarily difficult and complex problem that requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. In our limited involvement thus far, the U.S. military has had success in helping our partners on the ground push back ISIL. In Erbil, our Kurdish partners have resisted ISIL’s offensives. They have also pushed back ISIL in Mosul. Last week, we saw the Iraqis fight off ISIL in Amerli with the support of US airpower. There is a formula for success and ISIL can be defeated. It is time for Americans to come together and support the President as he ramps up our efforts to defeat this menace.” 

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) sent a letter, cosigned by Democratic Members of the Washington State delegation, urging Secretary Kerry to take action in Nestora Salgado’s case:

"Today, Congressman Adam Smith sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to continue efforts to release Nestora Salgado from prison in Mexico.  Ms. Salgado is a resident of Renton, WA who was arrested for her leadership in a community police group  in her home of Olinalá in the state of Guerrero, which has a long tradition of legally-recognized community self-defense groups.  Federal courts in Mexico have acknowledged that Nestora was acting lawfully, and a federal judge issued her immediate release, yet Guerrero state courts refuse to release her.  
 
This letter was also signed by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as Representatives Suzan DelBene, Jim McDermott, Rick Larsen, Denny Heck, Derek Kilmer, and Juan Vargas.  
 
“We urge you to employ the resources of the State Department to continue efforts to secure Ms. Salgado’s release,” the Members wrote.  “The authorities in the State of Guerrero have not demonstrated a concern for her well-being, nor have they carried out the due process of law afforded to Ms. Salgado.”
 
The Members also expressed concern about conditions of Nestora’s imprisonment, as she suffers from neuropathy in her hands and feet, yet has been denied access to medication and adequate exercise, and is kept in isolation.  These concerns are shared by representatives of the Mexican federal government. 
 
“We remain troubled by the detainment conditions to which she is subjected,” the Members continued.   It is for these reasons that we seek your assistance to achieve a diplomatic conclusion to this long fought battle so that Ms. Salgado may return to the safety of her family in Washington State.”
 
This is the second letter that Congressman Smith has sent to Secretary Kerry urging him to ensure that Nestora is afforded due process and bringing attention to her deplorable prison conditions. He also joined Nestora’s family and legal representation at Seattle University in a press conference to bring attention to her case and advocate for her release.  This letter comes one year after Ms. Salgado was unjustly imprisoned.  

Full Text of Letter