Congress rebels against Trump’s Middle East war secrecy
Fed up with increased restrictions on information and less on-the-ground access, some Democrats are seeking more transparency regarding the Donald Trump administration’s military operations throughout the region.
![IRAQ/ U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA) (L) meets with Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abbawi (C) during his visit to Baghdad July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Hadi Mizban/Pool (IRAQ CONFLICT POLITICS) - GM1E57Q1IOY01](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/05/RTR262C3.jpg/RTR262C3.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=cwxiofIP)
As the top Democrat on the House panel overseeing the Defense Department, Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts has traveled to Iraq almost two dozen times under three different presidents.
But now, that ability to monitor US military actions and foreign aid, Lynch insists, is being compromised by what he contends is a plummeting level of transparency under President Donald Trump, even as the administration promises to confront Iran throughout the Middle East. With the Pentagon restricting congressional travel to the region and classifying more information on its operations, Lynch and several of his Democratic colleagues have begun pushing back.