Response from Portman's office re: my letter to vote NO on Syria Mil. Intervention.

[CincyDem]

I thought the part about "damage to our allies and interests throughout the region" was such polite language for Israel and Oil.

Thank you for contacting me about the violence in Syria and U.S. involvement in the conflict. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts on this important issue.

We need to refrain from overly committing the United States to an internal conflict, while addressing the very real national security and humanitarian crisis in Syria. Thus far, President Obama's strategy has not worked. Russia and Iran openly support the Syrian regime, Hezbollah terrorists are in Syria fighting against the Syrian opposition, the regime is using chemical weapons against its own people, the death toll continues to rise, the number of refugees spilling into Jordan and Turkey is increasing, and the more moderate elements of the Syrian opposition face growing competition from jihadist groups for control of the movement. It is clear that we have not been doing enough to address an escalating crisis that threatens to cause real damage to our allies and interests throughout the region. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

While there is a need for a more coherent and active U.S. strategy in Syria, we must do everything we can to ensure that any aid we send goes to the right people and does not empower the groups and individuals whose goals do not align with U.S. objectives. We must also proceed cautiously to avoid overcommitting ourselves to the conflict. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that whatever involvement we have in Syria follows a clearly-defined plan.

Thank you for taking that time to share your thoughts on this important issue. I value your opinion and will keep it mind as I continue to monitor American involvement in Syria. For more information, please visit my website at www.portman.senate.gov.


Sincerely,
Rob Portman
U.S. Senator