Three Republican members of Congress from the United States recently made a historic visit to opposition-held northwest Syria, becoming the first American lawmakers to set foot in the war-torn country in six years. The visit, which lasted roughly one hour, highlighted the strong support on Capitol Hill for the opposition in Syria's long civil war. The lawmakers – U.S. Reps. French Hill of Arkansas, Ben Cline of Virginia, and Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin – entered Syria from Turkey via the Bab al-Salama crossing in northern Aleppo province. Their trip was facilitated by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition organization, and they had the opportunity to meet with opposition leaders, humanitarian workers, and displaced individuals.

During their visit, the lawmakers visited Wisdom House, a school for orphans in Idlib, where they were greeted by students who showcased pictures of their parents who were victims of the Assad regime. Hill, who has been a vocal supporter of the Syrian opposition, expressed his emotion at interacting with the children and stressed the importance of their desire for a representative government. The conflict in Syria began in 2011 when President Bashar Assad launched a campaign to suppress a peaceful uprising against his family's autocratic rule. Despite the immense human toll of the war – with at least 300,000 civilian deaths and the displacement of half of Syria's prewar population – Assad has managed to hold onto power with the support of allies Russia and Iran.

The timing of the lawmakers' visit is significant as Middle East leaders have recently begun restoring relations with the Assad government, breaking from the U.S. stance of keeping Assad isolated due to government abuses, including the repeated use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. The Arab League, for instance, reinstated Syria as a member after cutting ties earlier in the Syrian war, arguing that engagement is crucial in addressing the flow of refugees and illegal drugs from Syria.

Hill, who has been in close communication with Middle East governments, raised concerns about the lack of conditions imposed on Assad despite his government's gross human rights violations. He also emphasized the need for increased pressure on Assad to combat Syria's status as the world's leading global trafficker of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine. The trip by American lawmakers to Syria comes at a time when the Biden administration is being urged to maintain pressure on Assad and push for a political resolution to the conflict.

However, the State Department and the White House did not provide immediate comments on the visit. Control of northwest Syria is divided between Turkish-backed opposition groups and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that originated as an offshoot of al-Qaida and is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. The Turkish-backed opposition groups have clashed with Kurdish forces, who are U.S. allies in the fight against the Islamic State, in northeast Syria. While the visit by the three Republican members of Congress serves as a significant demonstration of support for the Syrian opposition, the path towards a political solution and lasting peace in the country still remains a complex and challenging endeavor.