Congressman Sam Farr, who represents San Benito County, has announced his opposition to military action in Syria.
President Obama has made the decision to strike in Syria after the government’s suspected use of chemical weapons on its people, but is asking for approval from Congress.
Below is the statement from Farr, D-Carmel, as posted on his website:
“One of the most difficult decisions I face as a member of Congress is when to place our brave service men and women into harm’s way. It is our country’s solemn obligation to ensure that anytime we commit our military to battle that the objective is clearly defined and it is in our nation’s best interest.
There is little doubt the atrocities committed by President al-Assad on his people are crimes against humanity and in violation of international law. However, if we have learned nothing from these last two conflicts it is that war does not always yield the results we desire. I am concerned that immersing ourselves into another nation’s civil war would prove to be both a costly and timely endeavor; one that we can ill afford to make on the heels of two of the longest wars in our country’s history. Another prolonged war would leave us weak strategically while simultaneously increasing the suffering of the Syrian people.
For those reasons, I remain opposed to any military involvement in Syria. Without the full support of our allies and a firm case that our national security is at risk, I cannot in good conscious vote now to commit our troops to war.”
