Kerry: No Time for 'Armchair Isolationism' on Syria

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The United States must "stand up and act" to punish the Syrian regime and cannot resort to isolationism in the face of "slaughter," Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers Tuesday.

"This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to a slaughter," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"Neither our country nor our conscience can afford the cost of silence," Kerry said, according to prepared remarks.

"We have spoken up against unspeakable horror. Now we must stand up and act," he added.

Kerry also pointed out that failure by the United States to take military action against Syria would send a dangerous signal to Iran and Hizbullah.

"Our inaction would surely give them a permission slip for them to at least misinterpret our intention, if not to put it to the test," Kerry told senators.

Hizbullah "militants" in Lebanon are "hoping that isolationism will prevail" and "North Korea is hoping that ambivalence carries the day," he said.

"They are all listening for our silence."

Kerry made an impassioned case for punitive strikes against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons after President Barack Obama put off military action to first ask Congress for approval.

Comments 5
Default-user-icon Truth (Guest) 04 September 2013, 00:15

Assad, and Iran for that matter, should get their ass kicked real good this time . They have been fooling around for too long and cheating the world, with policies based on murder, serial killings, deception, lies, and stealth !

Thumb _-_wolf_-_ 04 September 2013, 02:49

The US will attack whether they get approval of congress or not !
When the attack happens make sure all Coordinates are aimed for attack on all sides without any hesitation , a Sovereign country has the right to defend itself , hit back hard & even harder , do not stop !
Signed Wolf !!!

Missing hb9z 04 September 2013, 03:21

if israel had its way , it probably would have let assad stay forever and would have gotten more sunni chiya to massacre each other....its called islam implosion ( blowing up islam from inside) so .......do not think obama care much about aipac , may be a little ....he has other worries called kim jung, korea, japan , turkey... you overestimate iran as a superpower and its not...one day the real iranians will rule and the ayatollahs will go back to the hussayniya where they should have always stayed...religion and politics are like nitrates and glycerine , if you mix them up and shake it....

Thumb _-_wolf_-_ 04 September 2013, 04:21

General Powell in retirement ,
He will be shaking his head from left to right repeatedly !
" this is what I was ordered to do " he would say to himself !
" when are the American people are going to wake up with this on going BS " he would say !
Signed Wolf !!!!!?

Missing hb9z 04 September 2013, 05:26

all know the iraq invasion was a push from dick cheney and bush......powell was used and he was made to believe the info given.. one day history will show that getting rid of saddam gave a chance to iraq that is not get appreciated yet...history is not an instantaneous gratification....