N.C. congressman fears terrorists would gain from Syrian strikeAsheville Citizen-TimesASHEVILLE — The chairman of the Congressional Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare said Thursday that he fears a military strike on Syria would put weapons of mass destruction into the hands of terrorists. U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger made the comments in a call from Cairo, Egypt. He worries that Al Qaeda and other groups would move in and take weapons from Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s government should it destabilize in the wake of a U.S. attack. The Charlotte Republican is on a week-long mission to meet with leaders in Japan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Brussels. He will report back to his colleagues about what he learned from the leaders of those nations. He said the actions of Assad were “horrific” and “barbaric” though he said it would take a “tsunami of information” to move him to support President Obama’s call for a limited military strike. Assad is suspected of using posing gas to kill 1,400 of his own citizens. “I think as awful and terrible as that is, we have to recognize what could happen in the world today and the horrific impact that could be made by Islamic extremists if they get chemical and biological weapons,” he said. Obama on Thursday continued his push for a limited strike at the G-20 economic summit in Russia. Several world leaders — including the G-20 host, Russian President Vladimir Putin — oppose military action in Syria. Some lawmakers also oppose his plans. Six of the North Carolina’s 13 House members are undecided. Three are against, two are leaning against, one did not immediately respond and one declined comment. The state’s Senate delegation supports a strike. Pittenger, who said there were two bombings in Cairo where an 11 p.m. curfew forced him to stay in his hotel room, said Egyptian leaders don’t like Assad but are worried about a further destabilized Syria. “Our strategy and interests should be weighed on the possession of those weapons of mass destruction,” he said. He returns to Washington on Monday in time for classified briefings on the situation. The president also returns Monday to lobby lawmakers. USA Today contributed. |
