Cruz co-chair in Virginia travels to Syria, praises Assad
RICHMOND - Sen. Ted Cruz's campaign co-chairman in Virginia has traveled to Syria and promised support for the government of President Bashar Assad, who US officials have repeatedly said has lost the legitimacy to rule the war-torn country.
Virginia state Sen. Dick Black's trip to a Middle Eastern country in the midst of a civil war and his comments in the face of official US foreign policy are highly unusual for a state lawmaker.
Black, an outspoken Republican, is a part-time state senator who has no role in official US foreign policy. Still, he has met with Assad government officials and said he would advocate for better relationships between Assad and the US, according to the official Syrian news agency.
"I will be Syria's voice," Black said, according to the news agency.
