Honorable Ed Royce
U.S. Representative, California, Republican
Ed Royce was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. He chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The following is excerpted from a February 14, 2013, statement during the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on “The Crisis in Mali: U.S. Interests and the International Response.” Over the past year and a half, northern Mali, a vast desert landscape, has fallen to jihadists. Al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate and others, many coming from outside the region, capitalized on the country’s weak government to make these gains. Bolstered by weapons from [former Libyan leader Muammar] Qadhafi’s stockpile, these…
