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SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL
TO STRIKE ON SYRIA.
WHAT CONVINCED YOU?
>> LISTEN, I'M NO FAN OF THIS
PRESIDENT.
I'M CERTAINLY NO FAN OF THIS
PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN POLICY.
I THINK HIS MISMANAGEMENT IN THE
REGION HAS COMPOUNDED OUR
PROBLEMS THERE.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN'T STOP
BEING AMERICA JUST BECAUSE WE
HAVE AN INEFFECTIVE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
FACTS AND THE EVIDENCE HERE,
THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT
ARE CLEAR.
IT IS CLEAR THAT ASSAD GASSED
HIS OWN PEOPLE.
IT'S CLEAR THAT THAT GAS WAS
USED TO *** HUNDREDS OF
INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
IT'S CLEAR THAT OUR ALLIES IN
THE REGION LIKE ISRAEL ARE
ASKING US TO INTERVENE AND IT'S
CLEAR THAT EVIL DICTATORS IN
PLACES LIKE IRAN AND NORTH KOREA
ARE WATCHING AND WILL BE
EMBOLDENED IF WE DON'T ACT.
I THINK UNDER THOSE
SITUATIONS -- UNDER THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES, WE MUST ACT.
AND IF I HAD TO VOTE TODAY, I
WOULD VOTE YES.
>> CONGRESSMAN GRAYSON, YOU ALSO
HAVE BEEN PART OF THE SECURITY
BRIEFINGS, HAVE YOU NOT?
>> YES.
>> AND YOU COME AWAY WITH A MUCH
DIFFERENT OPINION.
YOU DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE TO
STRIKE.
YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME MORAL
COMPUNCTION TO ACT.
WHY NOT?
>> CLEARLY WE DON'T HAVE TO
STRIKE.
I THINK THAT'S INDUBITABLE.
WE SHOULDN'T STRIKE FOR SEVERAL
REASONS.
FIRST, IT'S NOT OUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT ALONE.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DEAL
WITH THIS PROBLEM.
THIRDLY, IT'S DANGEROUS TO DO
THIS.
FOURTH, IT WON'T DO ANY GOOD.
FIFTH, IT'S EXPENSIVE.
YOU KNOW, LET'S PLAY THIS OUT A
LITTLE BIT, OKAY?
WHATEVER WE DO, WHATEVER STRIKE
IS CONTEMPLATED HERE, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO END THE CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA THAT'S BEEN GOING ON NOW
FOR TWO YEARS, NOR THE CIVIL WAR
BETWEEN SHIITE MUSLIMS AND SUNNI
MUSLIMS WHICH IS WHAT THE CIVIL
WAR REFLECTS WHICH HAS BEEN
GOING ON NOW FOR 1300 YEARS.
SECONDLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO DEPOSE A DICTATOR AND
THIRD, WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO
BE ABLE TO PREVENT A NEW ATTACK
AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
IN FACT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
REDUCE THE STOCKPILE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS BECAUSE IF YOU BOMB
THOSE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, YOU
CREATE MUSHROOM CLOUDS OF POISON
GAS.
SO WHEN YOU REALLY GET DOWN TO
IT, IT'S AN EXERCISE IN CHEST
BEATING FOR US TO ATTACK THIS
OTHER COUNTRY BUT IF WE DO, IT'S
AN ACT OF WAR AND AN ACT OF WAR
MEANS THEY WILL COUNTER ATTACK
OR CAN COUNTER ATTACK.
THEY CAN COUNTER ATTACK AGAINST
US, THEY CAN COUNTER ATTACK
AGAINST TURKEY, THEY CAN COUNTER
ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL.
THEY CAN COUNTER ATTACK AGAINST
OUR FLEET IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
THEY CAN COUNTER ATTACK AGAINST
OUR EMBASSY 15 MILES FROM THEIR
BORDER IN BEIRUT.
THERE IS ALL SORTS OF WAYS THIS
CAN GO AWRY AND WE KNOW HOW THIS
MOVIE ENDS.
WE HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE.
WE HAVE SEEN IT IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
IT ENDS IN A QUAGMIRE.
A DECADE LONG QUAGMIRE THAT
WON'T END AT ALL.
THAT'S WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
ARE AGAINST THIS.
THAT'S WHY 70,000 PEOPLE HAVE
COME TO OUR DON'T ATTACK
SYRIA.COM WEBSITE IN A MATTER OF
DAYS AND WHY THE LETTERS,