Rand Paul warns Obama over military strikes against Assad

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday warned against U.S. military involvement in Syria’s civil war, arguing that the conflict has “no clear national security connection
to the United States.”

{mosads}Paul said in a statement Wednesday there was essentially no
positive outcome for the United States in Syria, no matter which side is
victorious in the two-year civil war.

“The war in Syria has no clear national security
connection to the United States and victory by either side will not necessarily
bring in to power people friendly to the United States,” Paul said.

The Kentucky senator and possible 2016 GOP presidential
candidate also expressed skepticism toward the administration’s view that it
was “undeniable” Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons, saying that the United
States should “ascertain who used the weapons.”

Paul’s statement comes as the administration is gearing up
for a potential military strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government,
which is accused of using chemical weapons in an attack last week that left
hundreds dead.

His opposition to U.S. strikes highlights the divisions
within the Republican Party over how to respond to the possible use of chemical
weapons in Syria. 

GOP defense hawks like Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.) have pushed the administration to go further than the limited strikes currently
being considered.

Paul has frequently clashed with McCain and other Republican hawks on foreign policy and
national security issues, including suspending aid to Egypt and the use of lethal
drones.

In his statement Wednesday, Paul sided with nearly
100 House members — including more than a dozen Democrats — who argue that President
Obama would violate the Constitution if he does not get authorization from
Congress before launching a military strike in Syria.

“The Constitution grants the power to declare war to
Congress, not the president,” Paul said.