US Military Intervention in Syria Debated on Capitol Hill | Albuquerque Express

US Military Intervention in Syria Debated on Capitol Hill

VoA - News Wednesday 7th March, 2012

U.S. defense officials are resisting calls from some lawmakers for American military intervention in Syria to end bloodletting and hasten the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.

Echoing President Barack Obama a day earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta argued against a rush to launch military strikes against Syrian government forces. Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Syria's bloody suppression of its people must and will end, but added the following: "Unfortunately, this terrible situation has no simple answers," he said.

The hearing featured a long, tense exchange between Panetta and Republican Senator John McCain, who urged prompt U.S.-led air strikes against the Syrian military. McCain reminded the defense secretary of the Obama administration's stated policy of preventing mass atrocities.

Senator McCain: "Would you agree that mass atrocities have occurred and are occurring in Syria?"

Secretary Panetta: "I do not think there is any question that we are experiencing mass atrocities there."

Senator McCain: "How many more have to die? Ten thousand more? Twenty thousand more? How many more?"

Secretary Panetta responded that, unless the United States acts unilaterally, something President Obama has ruled out, important groundwork must be laid before a military campaign can go forward."

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