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Sen. Murphy Clashes With Obama On ISIS Proposal

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is leading the opposition to President Barack Obama's plan to arm and train Syrian rebels, according to CT Mirror.

Senator Murphy Delivers Floor Speech On U.S. Strategy To Confront ISIS

Photo Credit: senchrismurphy

The beheadings of Americans by ISIS have pushed Obama toward a more aggressive position on Syria.

But Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke out against Obama's plan last week on the Senate floor (see video above).

“To begin with, it will be very difficult to thread the needle of supporting a Shiite regime against a Sunni insurgency in Iraq while, at the same time, supporting a Sunni insurgency against a Shiite regime in Syria,” Murphy said last week. “I want ISIS defeated in Syria. I want (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad to pay for his crimes against humanity. But too much can go wrong, for not enough possible gain, for the U.S. to increase our involvement in the Syrian civil war.”

In a statement, Murphy said he agreed with the imperative for action.

"ISIS represents true evil, and we would betray our core principles and responsibilities if we ignored it, simply because of weariness here at home with military engagement overseas," he said. "The president was right to lead with a recognition that it is political, rather than military, progress in Iraq that will truly make the difference in eliminating ISIS as a threat. I believe Congress should back this up with action - if we are going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on military action inside Iraq, we and our allies should commit double that amount to support political efforts to empower moderate Sunni leaders in the region so that they see a benefit to turning their backs on ISIS." 

But Murphy said he not believe that a comprehensive attack on ISIS must include a commitment to arm and train the Syrian rebels. And he said that Congressional approval is needed. 

"But most importantly, Congress needs to authorize this war. I do not believe that the Authorization for Military Force passed in the days following September 11th grants the president the power to conduct an open ended, long term war against ISIS," Murphy said. "Congress needs to fulfill its Constitutional duty and debate the president’s proposal for military action. This is too important to not have all voices at the table before moving forward."

The full text can be read here at Murphy's website. 

Read the full story on the issue at the CT Mirror website

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