Kerry presses lawmakers on Syria war

US Secretary of State John Kerry told senators on Tuesday it is time to “stand up and act” against the Syrian government as he made a forceful case for a military strike on the Middle Eastern country.

The hearing marked the first by Congress to consider President Barack Obama’s request for authorization to use military force in Syria after the US intelligence community claimed that the Syrian government had launched a chemical weapons attack on militant strongholds last month.
Kerry claimed the evidence is clear the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the August 21 attack and that Americans cannot “be spectators to slaughter.”
Kerry also raised some questions on the potential use of ground troops in Syria.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also joined Kerry to press lawmakers to authorize the use of force in Syria.
The Pentagon chief also said that several key allies in the region strongly support US military strikes on Syria.
Meanwhile, the Congress seems to be divided on giving the Obama administration authorization to attack Syria.