{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=fe9b9439-b273-45c7-9c5d-2977943a89c0", "Manchin Correct On Syrian Rebels | The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register", "2014-09-18", "2014", "2014-09", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "September 18, 2014\n\t\t\t Manchin Correct On Syrian Rebels | The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMost of President Barack Obama's proposal for destroying the Islamic State terrorist group seems logical. Unfortunately, U.S. officials have boxed themselves into a corner to the point there are not many options.\r\nBut part of the president's plan is an invitation to disaster, as Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., pointed out Wednesday.\r\nDuring a speech on the floor of the Senate, Manchin argued against Obama's plan to provide weapons and training to Syrian rebels other than the Islamic State.\r\nObama views some of those insurgents as allies because they have been fighting the Islamic State.\r\nBut such alliances are notoriously weak, as Americans who remember our support of Afghan forces fighting the Soviet Union know. Later, those very allies became the Taliban.\r\nAnd the rebels may not be our friends now. As Manchin noted, there have been reports that one \"moderate\" Syrian insurgent group sold American journalist Steven Sotloff to the Islamic State group - which beheaded him.\r\nManchin is right: U.S. leaders should have little, if any, faith in Syrian rebels who profess now to be our friends. Arming and training them could prove to be a terrible mistake.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t    Editorial\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=fe9b9439-b273-45c7-9c5d-2977943a89c0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0599060915410519, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}