Obama's Syria Speech Brings Up Painful Memories For SoCal Family Affected By 9/11
WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — President Obama addressed the nation Tuesday night looking to gain public support for a military intervention in Syria.
He wants to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for a chemical attack that reportedly killed more than 1,400 Syrian civilians.
The President is asking Congress to hold off an actual vote on a military strike, as a surprise move Tuesday by Russia's President Putin may prove to be a diplomatic alternative.
Critics claim the actual reason the President is asking for lawmakers to postpone the vote is because the resolution didn't have enough support to pass and Obama was going to suffer an embarrassing loss.
The President's proposed attack and the deaths of hundreds of innocent people is bringing up painful memories for the families who lost loved ones in the attacks of 9/11. CBS2's Suraya Fadel spoke with one family about what this means to them on the eve of that deadly anniversary.
"I very, very much care what goes on in there. We are far from out of the woods in terms of terrorism in the world," said Bradley Burlingame, whose brother, Capt. Charles Burlingame, was killed on 9/11 when the American Airlines flight he was piloting crashed into the Pentagon.
Burlingame said he's not surprised that Obama postponed the vote.
"I've been disappointed that we have not been able to secure a strong alliance in order to go in and do what's necessary in the Middle East, especially with Syria," he said. "I'm not against military action when it's necessary although it's a very serious action to make and there are ramifications to that...I still believe that our country is very vulnerable to attacks by terrorists, they could come in different forms."
The Burlingame family is among many families who had heavy hearts Tuesday night on the eve of the tragedy's anniversary. They are questioning the timing of the President's speech.
"The mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is still in captivity and I, like many family members, am waiting to see him prosecuted. And here we are 12 years later and that has not happened," Burlingame said.
