Md. Congressman Discusses Crisis In Syria
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Americans are holding their breath to see if the U.S. will strike after findings of chemical weapons being used in Syria. President Barack Obama now wants the approval of Congress to move ahead.
Rochelle Ritchie spoke with Congressman Elijah Cummings, who says he believes the Syrian president will use women and children as human shields, should the U.S. strike.
Cummings also says in order for Americans to fully support a U.S. strike in Syria, they need to understand the magnitude of chemical weapons.
It could be just a matter of days before the U.S. carries out any sort of military strike on Syria, where their president is believed to have used chemical weapons on his own people.
"I think voices will grow over the next few days as people see the evidence," said Secretary of State John Kerry.
But Cummings says he needs more information to support a military strike.
"I think there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered," he said.
One of those questions is what happens if the president's resolution is not approved.
"If we fail to do that, does that put President Assad in a much better position to do the kinds of things he's been doing?" Cummings asked.
He says after Sunday's classified briefing, he is convinced chemical weapons were used in Syria and says the president must convince the American people this will not be another Iraq.
"People know that we went into Iraq on information that was, at best, inaccurate, so they're looking at this like, is this the same kind of thing," Cummings said.
Cummings says the American people need to have a clear understanding of just how dangerous chemical warfare is, not only to the U.S. but to the entire world. He says in order for the president's resolution to pass, it will need to be narrowed. Right now, he says, it's too broad.
