Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be the next director of national intelligence received a boost from a group of people well-acquainted with the threat of terrorism.
A former al Qaeda hostage, his parents, and the parents of an ISIS victim signed a joint letter backing Gabbard’s nomination as key to protecting Americans from terrorism, especially with the ascent of a new terror group in Syria.
Letter signatory Theo Padnos was kidnapped and held by the Nusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, from 2012 to 2014. His parents, Nancy Curtis and Michael Padnos, also signed the letter, as well as Carl and Marsha Mueller, whose daughter, Kayla, is believed to have been executed by ISIS in 2015 after being held captive in Syria for over two years.
Gabbard’s experience in national security and her service in the military has given her the necessary experience to understand the threat of terrorism, the letter says, according to a copy obtained by The Daily Wire.
“[Gabbard] has been compassionate towards terrorism’s victims. She has been a fierce advocate for bringing its practitioners to justice,” the letter says.
“American hostage families know that Tulsi Gabbard has always been on our side. We know this because all of us have been in the position of needing information and connections in a country in which the American foreign policy apparatus has been unable to provide even the most basic forms of help,” it continues.
After the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorial regime last month, large swaths of Syria have fallen under the control of the Turkish-backed, U.S.-recognized terror group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the leader of which has past ties to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
“Now that the individuals who helped to build up ISIS and al Qaeda in Syria have taken charge of the country, we expect terrorists there to have a much freer hand in the future,” the letter says. It goes on to warn that terror groups in Syria will wield their influence over the internet to groom and radicalize “lone wolves in the West.”
“Given the threat that has lately surfaced in New Orleans, we feel that the sooner the senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard the better, as the nation needs leadership that will keep Americans safe,” the letter says.
The endorsement comes at a key time for Gabbard, one of President-elect Donald Trump’s more controversial nominees, as she prepares for a Senate confirmation hearing this month. Gabbard has been scrutinized for her past efforts to foster a closer U.S. relationship with Assad, whom she met with in 2017.
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