Republican Congressman Steve King says he’d vote “no” on a congressional resolution authorizing a military strike into Syria, but King believes Russia’s idea of getting the Syrian government to give up its chemical weapons may be the best answer for President Obama.
“To kind of find a diplomatic way to resolve this without a military strike I think would absolutely be welcomed by the House and the Senate,” King told reporters this afternoon in a telephone conference call. “If there’s a solution, let’s get on with the solution.”
King would support some kind of United Nations team assessing Syria’s chemical weapons and taking control of those stockpiles, but only if “credible” Americans are part of that U-N team.
King believes President Obama had the constitutional authority to order a limited military strike on his own in August shortly after initial reports that hundreds of Syrians had died from chemical weapons. King said Obama spawned a “global debate” by waiting for a vote in congress.
“I’m glad to have him consult us, but this has just turned into a diplomatic mess,” King said.
King said for the past 10 days he has avoided talking with the media about Syria until he returned from a trip to the Middle East and attended Monday night’s classified briefing on the Syrian situation.
“If the vote were today, I’d vote no on military action in Syria and I’m hopeful the administration will identify the good guys in Syria and in Egypt and be able to move forward so that all people have this desire for freedom burning and beating in our hearts,” King said today, “and we should help people realize that wherever we can.”
However, King said the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda have infiltrated the rebel forces in Syria and weakening Syria’s government with military strikes might “pave the road to Damascus” for the “bad elements” among the Syrian rebels.