US Senate panel approves resolution on Syria

Wanda Sue Parrott attends a demonstration organized by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County to protest against possible U.S. military intervention in Syria, outside the offices of U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) in Salinas, California, September 4, 2013.[Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution on Wednesday authorizing limited U.S. military intervention in Syria, setting the stage for a debate in the full Senate next week on the use of force.

The committee voted 10-7 in favor of a compromise resolution that sets a 60-day limit on any engagement in Syria, with a possible 30-day extension, and bars the use of U.S. troops on the ground for combat operations.

The compromise is more limited than President Barack Obama's original proposal but would meet his administration's goal of punishing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for what the United States says was the use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians, killing more than 1,400 people.

The relatively close committee vote reflected the broad divisions on the authorization in Congress, where many lawmakers fear it could lead to a prolonged U.S. military involvement in Syria's civil war and spark an escalation of regional violence.

Five Republicans and two of Obama's fellow Democrats - Chris Murphy and Tom Udall - voted against the resolution. Democrat Ed Markey voted "present," saying in a statement that he is still undecided.

The full Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to vote on the resolution next week. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives also must approve it. The fate of the resolution in Congress is uncertain as scores of lawmakers in both parties have yet to stake out a public position other than to say they are looking for more answers.

Obama and administration officials have urged Congress to act quickly, saying U.S. national security and international credibility is at stake in the decision whether to use force in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons.

"If we don't take a stand here today, I guarantee you, we are more likely to face far greater risks to our security and a far greater likelihood of conflict that demands our action in the future," Secretary of State John Kerry told the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a separate meeting on Wednesday.

"Assad will read our silence, our unwillingness to act, as a signal that he can use his weapons with impunity," Kerry said.

Anti-war protesters greeted Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, during their House committee appearance. Protesters held hands splattered with blood-red paint in the air behind Kerry as he spoke.

Murphy said he opposed the resolution because he was concerned a strike could make the situation worse in Syria and he feared the possibility of a prolonged U.S. commitment.

"I oppose it not because I don't gag every time that I look at those photos of young children who have been killed by Assad in his lethal attacks. It's simply because I have deep concerns about the limits of American power," Murphy said.

The committee vote came after the two committee leaders - Democratic Chairman Robert Menendez and senior Republican Bob Corker - crafted a compromise to meet concerns that Obama's proposed resolution was too open-ended.

Republican John McCain, a proponent of strong action in Syria, objected to the more narrow compromise. The committee adopted his amendments spelling out the policy goals of degrading Assad's ability to use chemical weapons and increasing the military capability of rebel forces.

‘Momentum on the battlefield’

"These amendments are vital to ensuring that any U.S. military operations in Syria are part of a broader strategy to change the momentum on the battlefield in Syria," McCain said.

The committee rejected Udall's amendment to prohibit air and naval forces from entering Syrian waters or air space, and an amendment by Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky that would have reaffirmed Congress's role in declaring war.

Polls show strong public opposition to U.S. military involvement in Syria, and the debate in the U.S. Congress is unfolding one week after Britain's Parliament rejected British involvement in any military operation.

In Sweden, Obama issued a blunt challenge to U.S. lawmakers to authorize a military strike on Syria.

"My credibility is not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line," Obama told a news conference in Stockholm. "And America and Congress's credibility is on the line, because (otherwise) we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important." 

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid is confident that a majority of the 100 members will vote yes, but is still unsure if he can get the 60 votes needed to overcome possible Republican procedural roadblocks, aides said.

In the 435-member House, a senior Republican aide predicted that most of the 50 or so Republicans backed by the conservative Tea Party movement will vote no. A number of Democratic liberals are also expected to vote against the resolution, placing the final outcome in doubt.