Mo Brooks: ‘A president’s gaffes do not justify war’

WASHINGTON – Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, is an emphatic ‘no’ vote for U.S. military intervention against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

In a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Brooks cited last year’s decision by the Obama administration to attack Libya without congressional authorization. That, he said, led to the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

“President Obama, without consulting Congress or the American people, intervened in Libya’s civil war, resulting in the murder of four Americans, including our ambassador, in Benghazi, while creating yet another fertile terrorist recruiting ground,” Brooks said. “Repeating its Libya mistake, in September, 2012, the Obama Administration declared that America will intervene in Syria’s civil war and work ‘to support a Syrian opposition to hasten the day when Assad falls.’”

“Shortly thereafter, I stood on this floor, stated my opposition to America’s intervening in yet another civil war, and argued that, ‘America must stop spending our treasury and risking American lives for those who neither appreciate our sacrifices, nor believe in basic liberties like freedom of religion and freedom of speech,’” he continued.

Brooks acknowledged he had participated in briefings about the Syrian situation, yet he had not been persuaded by them, nor had he been persuaded by the president’s Tuesday night national address. He also pointed out the lack of support for such an attack on Syria within his own congressional district.

“I have participated in classified hearings with Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and many others,” Brooks said. “I have listened to President Obama. The arguments for attacking Syria are unpersuasive. Absent substantially different circumstances, and consistent with my 2012 opposition to intervening in Syria’s civil war, I will vote against attacking Syria, if and when Congress has that vote. I reject the President’s argument that the best way to keep Syrians from killing Syrians is for Americans to kill Syrians.  America has peaceful options.  We should pursue them more vigorously. There is not the required public support to attack Syria.”

“Americans oppose attacking Syria by a 2-to-1 ratio,” Brooks added. “In Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, 1,272 citizens have contacted my office about Syria.  One thousand, two hundred and sixty-seven citizens oppose attacking Syria.  A scant five citizens out of 1,272 – five – support attacking Syria.  The President last night told America that there is no evidence that Syria is a security threat to America that supports preemptive military action.  Yet an attack makes Syria and its allies a security threat. President Obama erred when he made Syria’s chemical weapons a red line.  But a president’s gaffes do not justify war.”

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