U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.VIDEO
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The United States should make "surgical strikes" against Syrian military targets involved in the recent chemical weapons attack on hundreds of Syrian people, but the U.S.should not send ground forces into the war-torn nation, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said today.
Corker, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relation Committee, said he would support a limited air attack or use of cruise missiles into Syrian targets to demonstrate the opposition by the United States and other countries to the use banned chemical munitions. Although United Nations weapons inspectors are still trying to visit and assess the suspected attack site, the Obama administration says it is convinced that President Bashar Assads forces were responsible.
"Whatever we do should not be done in such a way as to alter the dynamics that we now have, which is to support the vetted Syrian opposition," Corker said following a speech to the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. "We do not want to be involved ourselves and to mired down in a Civil War. That is not the role of the United States. On the other hand, equipping, training and giving humanitarian aid to those people who are vetted and moderate is an appropriate role for us and the international community."
Corker said the president under the War Powers Act has the authority to take limited military action without Congressional authorization. The Chattanooga Republican said he wishes the White House would call Congress back from its summer recess to get an authorization vote and that Congress would be more involved in authorizing U.S. military strikes.
"But the president has the authority and I expect there will be some action," Corker said.
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