Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) has proposed a solution to the use of chemical weapons in Syria that does not involve the United States bombing the country — the investigation and prosecution of those crimes against humanity.
Smith, New Jersey’s longest serving congressman and a well regarded champion of human rights, introduced a Concurrent Resolution last week that, if passed by both the House and Senate, would direct President Obama to work with the United Nations to set up a tribunal to investigate war crimes war crimes committed by the Syrian government and the rebel groups waging a civil war in the county.
In a interview with The Washington Post’sBrad Plumer, Smith, who has previously worked on war crimes tribunals involving Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, criticizes the Obama targeting “20 year-olds who might be on an air force base” rather the actual perpetrators of use of sarin gas against the Syria people, be it the Assad regime or the rebels.
A tribunal would be a non-lethal alternative to a bombing campaign — which no one knows how long it will last. During the House hearing [on Wednesday], I asked Secretary Kerry: How do you define “limited”? How do you define “short duration”? And he didn’t answer. There’s no sense that bombing will end this war. No one is even remotely suggesting that. And I’m equally concerned about a strike where there are consequences that have or haven’t been anticipated that could occur.
Smith said the tribunal should convene immediately and that there in no need to wait for the end of the Syrian civil war.
Smith said that he asked Secretary of State John Kerry at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee if the Obama administration had proof that the chemical weapons were deployed by the Assad regime. Kerry wouldn’t answer.
Smith said that he anticipated that Russia, China and the rest of the world community would support an investigative prosecutorial tribunal.
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Presidents Barack Obama and Bashar Al-Assad will go head-to-head in dueling US television interviews Monday, as a crucial week dawns for the US leader’s push for air attacks on Syria. Assad will reportedly deny that he used chemical weapons on civilians…
Posted: September 9th, 2013 | Author:admin | Filed under:Syria | Tags:Assad, Obama, RePost, Syria | Comments Off on Obama, Assad go head-to-head in US interview duel
GOP U.S. Senate nominee Steve Lonegan said this afternoon that his Democratic opponent, Newark Mayor Cory Booker is afraid to admit his support of President Barack Obama’s desire to attack Syria.
“Mayor Booker claims he cannot say whether he will support or oppose President Obama’s proposed military attack on Syria allegedly because he has no access to classified information,” Lonegan said, calling that argument “as fake as T-Bone.”
“The American people have figured out very quickly that President Obama has not made the case that American interests are at stake in Syria,” Lonegan said. “Americans are sick of being the world’s policeman and sick of getting involved in domestic civil wars where there is no evidence that America’s national security is threatened.”
“Cory Booker is afraid to admit he supports the President’s proposed war in Syria,” Lonegan said, “so instead he attempts to hide behind the smokescreen of not having enough information. But people are on to the Mayor’s act now, and his refusal to speak out against the President’s war can only be interpreted as assent.”
T-Bone is a character in a parable that Booker used early in his political career, until the Star Ledger raised questions about the authenticity of talent. Booker claimed that T-Bone was a Newark drug dealer who once threatened his life and then a few year later pled with the mayor, in tears, to help him avoid prison. In published reports Booker has claimed that the character is both “1000% a real person” and “an archetype.”
Regarding Syria, Booker initially said he would not support a strike, then equivocated. Now he says he does not have enough information to say whether or not he would vote to authorize a military strike.
John Munson/The Star-Ledger NEWARK — Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s political stardom has paid off well. The Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful has earned nearly $4 million from various endeavors over the past 15 years, including an average income of $577…
President Barack Obama on Saturday warned US lawmakers against turning “a blind eye” to Syria, as Washington sought to muster European Union support for military strikes against the Damascus regime. Fresh from a G20 summit in Saint Petersburg where…
The US House Republican leader told his caucus Friday to expect a vote on authorization of the use of force in Syria within the next two weeks. In an internal memo to fellow Republican members, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor laid out a busy schedule…
D’Jais, the popular Belmar bar suspected of being ground zero for a Monmouth County mumps outbreak, is closing voluntarily for the weekend to clean and sanitize what might be left on the virus, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Health Department.
With the exception of one pre-school aged child, all of the individuals are adults. The median age of the individuals under investigation is 27. Most of the individuals have either been patrons or employees of D’Jais Bar and Grill in Belmar.
“The staff and management and ownership of D’Jais have all been very cooperative and most helpful in advancing this investigation,” said Monmouth County Administrator Teri O’Connor. “Additionally, the Borough of Belmar continues to assist as we work our way through this public health issue.”
D’Jais has voluntarily closed its doors to patrons for the coming weekend. D’Jais has received and carried out cleaning and sanitizing recommendations from the Health Department.
The Health Department has confirmed one case of mumps. 26 other cases of patients with mumps-like symptoms are under investigation.
The Health Department asks that anyone with symptoms of the swelling of salivary glands along with fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite to seek medical attention and call the Health Department at 732-431-7456.
