Sen. Ben Cardin offered cautious support — and a warning — Friday for President Donald Trump’s decision to strike a Syrian airfield.
“You will not be able to bomb your way to peace in Syria,” the Maryland Democrat said on CNN’s “New Day.”
“Syrians must work out their problems,” Cardin told co-host Alisyn Camerota. “President Assad must be held accountable for war crimes. He’s lost credibility as a leader. He must leave the presidency. This is not just what America thinks, but the international community.”
US forces Thursday night launched dozens of cruise missiles to destroy a Syrian airbase that was home to the warplanes that carried out the deadly chemical attack on civilians earlier this week.
Cardin, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, added Friday morning that if the Trump White House presented a plan for bringing peace to Syria, Congress would be eager to work with him.
“If he gives us the comprehensive way to bring the conflict to an end, I know Congress is anxious to work with the President,” he said.