April 07, 2017

Wyden Statement on Syria

Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on Syria:

“I am relieved that Bashar al-Assad’s most recent war crime—the use of banned nerve gas to poison his own citizens—has finally convinced the Trump administration what my Senate colleagues and I have long known: the bloodthirsty Assad regime has no qualms about the liquidation of its detractors. This use of sarin against men, women, and most horrifically, against children, violates international rules and norms as well as the Assad regime’s specific commitments to the international community.

“However, I remain deeply concerned about the president’s lack of strategy with respect to the war in Syria. After criticizing the Obama administration for failing to articulate a clear strategy, the Trump administration has put forth no comprehensive plan for ending this conflict. The Trump administration’s earlier move to increase the number of American troops on the ground, together with these strikes, raises serious concerns about the U.S. being dragged into another nation’s civil war.

“I want to be crystal clear that any significant commitment of United States troops or long-term military operation in Syria will require the president to consult the American people and to come before Congress.”