ACTION ALERT: Syria Use of Force Resolution

September 03, 2013

TO:       RJC Members
FROM:   RJC Legislative Affairs Committee
SUBJ:    Syria Use of Force Resolution

On Saturday, President Obama announced that he would ask Congress to pass a resolution authorizing the use of military force against Bashar Al-Assad's regime in Syria.

There is much debate and discussion as to the merits of various strategies going forward, as well as how the U.S. got to this juncture.

However, for Congress, there is only one question that must be answered: Is it in our national interest to respond to the violation by Syria of the international norm against the use of chemical weapons?

BACKGROUND

    • For more than three decades, the U.S. State Department has classified Syria as a terror-supporting state.

 

    • The Syrian dictatorship has built stockpiles of chemical weapons and used such weapons on its own population.

 

    • Additionally, Syria's regime has killed more than 100,000 people in the course of a civil war that has turned millions of Syrians into refugees.

 

    • Syria is a critical regional ally of Iran and a conduit for Iranian aid to anti-Israel terrorists, most prominently Hamas and Hezbollah.

 

    • As Iran's regime moves ever closer to its goal of obtaining a nuclear weapons capacity, the Tehran regime and others around the region are watching closely to see whether the American people will stand behind international commitments - both threats against adversaries and assurances to allies.



It is imperative that the U.S. preserve its ability to project a credible military deterrent.

This is not a partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans must work together to avoid the loss of moral standing and diplomatic credibility that would result if Congress denies our military the support it will need to execute its mission successfully.

TAKE ACTION
Call your Congressman and U.S. Senators - whether they are Democrats or Republicans - and urge them to support the authorization of force resolution when it's voted on (probably some time next week).

Information about how to contact a Congressman can be found at
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
(you will be directed to a site where you can identify who your Representative is and send him or her an email) -- or by calling 202-224-3121.

Information about how to contact your U.S. Senators can be found HERE or by calling 202-224-3121.

Members of Congress are more responsive to their own constituents, so we encourage you to alert friends and family members in other states and ask them to contact their Senators and Congressmen as well.