Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below following President Obama’s speech to the nation on the situation in Syria:
“Our national debate over a military strike in Syria has prompted a change in Russian attitude that the President has rightly pledged to explore, as he takes his case to the American people. There will be a pause before a vote on targeted military strikes, and I’m encouraged by this development. I hope an agreement can be reached to safely remove Syria’s chemical weapons. If negotiations fail and the President pursues Congressional approval for military strikes, I will defend three principles: our actions must be closely limited in time and scope, the benefits must exceed the risks for our country, and we must avoid regular ‘boots on the ground’ military operations.”
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