Pentagon bars lawmakers from traveling to Syria and Iraq

The Pentagon barred lawmakers from visiting Iraq and Syria in the weeks surrounding the holidays, House Armed Providers Committee spokesperson Monica Matoush confirmed Tuesday.

The prohibition was first reported by The Washington Publish, which cited a Dec. 16 memo signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper barring authorities, congressional and allied nations' "senior degree visits" to Iraq and Syria until Jan. 15.

The transfer came ahead of a spike in violence in Iraq in current days.

On Sunday, the U.S. bombed 5 websites — three in Iraq and two in Syria — belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group, in retaliation for a rocket assault Friday in northern Iraq that killed a U.S. contractor.

After an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, Esper stated "further forces" were being sent to strengthen the compound and urged the Iraqi government to assist in protecting U.S. personnel there. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the embassy assault and the rocket attack in a tweet Tuesday morning.

The Pentagon didn't instantly comment on the travel restrictions.

The Pentagon has previously limited congressional travel to warfare zones at occasions of heightened security considerations.

A congressional aide, nevertheless, advised POLITICO "there was not a clear purpose given why, in this case, the restrictions have been put in place."

A bipartisan delegation of House lawmakers traveled to the Middle East and Italy over the holidays, leaving the U.S. on Dec. 22 and returning on Dec. 27. In the Middle East, the lawmakers — all members of the Home Overseas Affairs, Armed Providers and Veterans' Affairs Committees — traveled to Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, however not Iraq or Syria.

Article originally revealed on POLITICO Magazine

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