WASHINGTON D.C. - Ohio's senators have both released statements on last night's military strike against Syria.
Senator Rob Portman says the U.S. now needs a comprehensive strategy with a clearly-defined purpose for achieving national security goals in Syria and that region. Portman adds, the United States needs an allied effort to bring an end to the refugee crisis. Portman is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Portman's full statement is below:
“Our men and women in uniform carried out this military strike with precision and skill, and I applaud their courage and bravery. It was appropriate to hold Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad accountable for his cruel and illegal use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians, including women and children. The Assad regime clearly violated the 2013 Russian-led agreement at the United Nations requiring Syria to turn over all its chemical weapons.
“We now need a comprehensive strategy with clearly-defined purpose and objectives for how we achieve our national security goals in Syria and the region. As I have said before, only a coordinated and comprehensive effort by the United States and our allies will help bring an end to the refugee crisis, as well as the violence and devastation that has plagued Syria and the Middle East. As a Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I intend to continue to engage with the Trump administration and my colleagues in the Senate to help flesh out the appropriate American strategy.”
Senator Sherrod Brown says it appears to be a proportional response to Bashar Al Assad's quote "brutal killing of innocent civilians". Brown says there are still unanswered questions about how the strike will impact American forces on the ground fighting ISIS. Senator Brown is also calling on President Trump to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop indiscriminate killing of Syrian civilians.
Senator Brown's full statement is below:
“Last night’s missile strike appears to be a proportional response for Assad’s brutal killing of innocent civilians, but there are still unanswered questions, including how the strike will impact American forces on the ground fighting ISIS and what this means for long-term military engagement in Syria. President Trump needs to come up with a strategy to resolve the Syrian conflict, share his plans with the American people and win their support before taking further action.”
“Secretary Tillerson is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week, and he and President Trump need to use this Administration’s close ties with Russia to pressure President Putin to step up and curtail further indiscriminate killing of Syrian civilians.”