With the news making headlines that US is proposing for authorization from the US Congress to use military force in Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry made some clarifications of the proposition by saying that America is not going to war and President Barack Obama is not asking for a declaration of war as well.
In his State opening remarks before the House Armed Services Committee, Secretary Kerry underlines that military action to Syria entails that it is a targeted, limited, but consequential action that will reinforce the prohibition against chemical weapons.
“We are not going to war. There will be no American boots on the ground.” – Secretary Kerry
No American boots will be on the Syrian ground
According to Secretary Kerry, there will be no American boots will be on the ground.
He says General Dempsey and Secretary Hagel will explains how they can achieve that and their confidence in ther ability to achieve that.
He says they are talking about an action that will degrade Assad’s capacity to use these weapons and to ensure that they do not proliferate.
And with this authorization, Secretary Kerry says the President is asking for the power to make sure that the United States of America means what it says.
The risks of not ACTING NOW
Secretary Kerry says the risk of not acting is much greater than the risk of acting.
If US fails to act, Assad will believe that he has license to gas his own people again.
“And that license will turn prohibited weapons into tactical weapons. And General Dempsey can tell you about this.” – Secretary Kerry
It would take an exception, a purposeful exception that has been in force since 1925, and make it the rule today, he stressed.
With inaction, it would undermine US ‘standing, degrade America’s security and our credibility, and erode our strength in the world.
“In a world of terrorists and extremists, we would choose to ignore those risks at our peril.” – Secretary Kerry
The US cannot afford to have chemical weapons transformed into the new convenient weapon, the IED, the car bomb, the weapon of everyday use in this world.
“Neither our country nor our conscience can bear the costs of inaction, and that’s why we’ve come before you, at the instruction of the President, to ask you to join us in this effort.” – Secretary Kerry
The World is Watching
In addition, Secretary Kerry says the world is watching for US action in Syria.
“It is no exaggeration at all to say to you that the world is watching.” – Secretary Kerry
He says the international community not just to see what US decides; they’re watching to see how US decides it, and whether or not the US has the ability at this critical time when so much is on the line in so many parts of the world.
As challenges to governance, it’s important that the US shows the world that US actually does have the ability to, hopefully, speak with one voice, he added.
“And we believe that that can make a difference.” – Secretary Kerry
Syrian regime found guilty of using chemical weapons
According to reports, blood and hair samples that have come discovered through an appropriate chain of custody from east Damascus, from first responders, it has tested positive for signatures of sarin.
US reportedly knew that the regime ordered this attack, many know they prepared for it, many know where the rockets came from, many know where they landed.
The US has evidence of it in other ways, and it knows that the regime tried to cover up afterwards, he added.
Is Syrian regime using chemical weapons?
In May, reports have made headlines that there is a growing evidence that Syrian government troops have used chemical weapons.
The White House reportedly said that Syria had used the nerve agent sarin on a “small scale.”
However, Syrian officials slammed the allegations, saying the accusations are “lies.”
Reports also indicated that if proven the Syrian government is using chemical weapons, it would be a “red line” for possible international intervention.
However, amid the numerous accusations, there is no confirmation yet that chemical weapons have been used during Syria’s two-year-old conflict during that time an investigation was launched.
