Vitter Announces Opposition To Syrian Strike

Senator David Vitter joins Republican Minden Congressman John Fleming in opposing a strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government for a chemical weapons attack.

The senator said the following in a written statement:

After a lot of careful thought and prayer, I have decided that I will vote NO on the Syria war resolution.

 

As horrible as events in Syria are, they do not pose a direct threat to the United States or our allies.  U.S. military action could spark a broader war and/or entangle us in Syria's protracted civil war in which elements of the opposition are even worse than the Assad regime, all while our troops are underfunded.

 

There is a very serious and direct threat to us in the region – Iran's development of nuclear weapons.  I am extremely concerned that getting involved in Syria, after Iraq and Afghanistan, would make mustering our resolve to stop a nuclear Iran impossible.

The other members of Louisiana's congressional delegation have said they are unsure which way they would vote.