My Senator's Syria Response

I thought I would add my senator's Syria response here, as I actually think that my particular senator has informative form letters (even if they are form letters).

The public demonstrations in Syria that began in 2011 have escalated to a bloody civil war that has left over 100,000 people dead and displaced over 2 million refugees. President Bashar al Assad and his leadership refuse to leave power, despite widespread public demands and intense international pressure calling for political change and an end to violence against civilians. Instead, the regime has offered limited reforms and is meeting popular protests and armed opposition attacks with overwhelming force.

Elements of the Syrian government, to include regime forces and senior officials, have reportedly used chemical weapons on more than one occasion during the ongoing conflict. Most recently, in August 2013, the Assad regime was involved in a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus that left over 1,000 dead. These reports are alarming and demonstrate a horrific new chapter in the civil war. In light of the chemical attacks, President Obama has sought Congress’ approval for a military strike against Syria.

While the actions of the Assad regime are deplorable, it is imperative that we fully consider the potential ramifications of a kinetic confrontation, particularly if such a confrontation leads to further destabilization of the country. The U.S. finds itself without a clear ally in the conflict. In fact, many of the anti-regime factions within Syria have displayed brutal tactics reminiscent of the very regime they seek to overthrow. Should the Assad regime fall, it is unclear which faction will assume leadership, and thus it is unclear who will gain control of the remaining chemical weapons in Syria. Any Syrian regime must adhere to U.S. interests including respecting human rights, protecting Americans, and safeguarding Israel’s right to exist. At this point the Administration has not articulated an adequate explanation of the potential consequences of U.S. intervention.

Nonetheless, I commend the President’s decision to seek Congressional authorization for the use of force. It is imperative that the President not potentially engage our nation in a war without Congressional input. Now that the decision rests with Congress, the President must adhere to the will of the American people about military action and respect the sole authority of Congress to declare war. He must also explain fully to the American people how intervening in Syria is a part of our strategic interests in the Middle East. I am not yet convinced, and neither are Idahoans. Absent a clear showing our nation’s security interests are at jeopardy, the American people will need a compelling case to support intervening militarily in Syria. A high bar must be set when considering the engagement of Armed Forces personnel in a military theater.

I have also long maintained that any use of military force by the United States should only be used as a last resort and in the sole interest of our national security, not simply to promote nation-building. Our military commitments elsewhere in the Middle East have put a tremendous strain on our military, the federal budget, and Americans on the home front, and any action that would unnecessarily put the safety of the men and women in the Armed Services and the security of our nation at risk is unacceptable.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, crapo.senate.gov....

Sincerely,
US SenatorSenator Mike Crapo
Mike Crapo
United States Senator

MDC:SF

My thoughts:
*The facts about the issue iare laid out in this letter, which is nice.
*It is good Obama seeks congressional approval, even my (R) senator approves

What I noticed:
*We have no clear allies
*It could destabilize the region more
*It is unclear who would gain control of the chemical weapons remaining in Syria once the government was overthrown (= possible chemical weapons attacks in Western cities)
*The long-lasting war in the Middle-East is putting stress on our military and economy.

Well at least your senator has someone intelligent writing his form letters. Intelligence is a rare commodity in Washington these days. I actually felt that this response framed the situation in Syria very well.

Thank you for sharing this response. Very interesting indeed.

reply to post by Metallicus


I agree, even though it is a form letter, I feel like it was intelligently written and gives me a fairly unbiased view of the situation, honestly - check out the facts it mentions. I've written Senator Crapo on a few issues, and I am not frustrated to get form letters from him because I usually learn more about what is going on.

Also, he usually mentions how he could approach the issue from either angle.