A Democratic lawmaker and Iraq War veteran is questioning President Donald Trump’s strategy in Syria, particularly in the context of Trump’s opposition to allowing Syrian refugees to come to the US.
Hours after the US strike against a Syrian airfield, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts, tweeted, “So @POTUS cares enough about the Syrian people to launch 50 Tomahawks but not enough to let the victims of Assad find refuge & freedom here.”
Trump, who frequently warned on the campaign trail that terrorists could infiltrate the US posing as terrorists, has sought to block Syrian refugees from entering the US as president.
Moulton told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Friday morning that while he supports the President’s strike — he said it “shows we are not going to stand with the use of chemical weapons” — the US needs “to have some political end game.”
The President also needs to explain his strategy to the American people and Congress, Moulton said.
“When I was a Marine fighting in Iraq, I understood that every time I went on a raid or patrol, I was fighting to empower the government of Iraq,” said Moulton, who served four tours.
“What comes next gets harder. When young Americans start losing lives and we start having conflicts in the airspace with Russia, this is going to get more complicated quickly. That is why we need to have a clear strategy from the President.”
Moulton reminded viewers that Congress “ultimately said no” in 2013 when then-President Barack Obama asked them to support US action in Syria, adding, “there is no question the role of Congress, the constitutional authority is to decide if we go to war. Going forward, we have to have debate and approve the plans.”
“For me, personally, what matters is to have a clear goal and strategy. I don’t want to support an open-ended conflict.”