Locals say no to striking Syria

Eastern Idahoans are raising their voices against a possible military strike in Syria.

Wednesday a Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution giving President Barack Obama limited authority to launch military action in Syria.

The G-20 summit began Thursday, and though the global economy will be the key talking point, Syria will also be a topic of discussion.

As world leaders arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia for the G-20 summit, President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin met over dinner to discuss their differences about Syria.

“I think our joint recognition that the use of chemical weapons in syria is not only a tragedy, but also a violation of international law that must be addressed,” said President Obama.

Striking Syria is striking a chord with locals.
“We should not be over there, no,” said Ammon resident, David Hay.

“I don’t think we should interfere, it’s not really our problem,” said Rigby resident Meisha Franck

United States senators are also voicing their opinions from lessons learned.

“I do think that many of us have learned how difficult it is based on the Iraq experience for the United States to get disengaged once we take a military action,” said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

“What is the plan to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of some very bad people and I’m not getting answers to that other than it will be alright and I’m not very satisfied with that,” said Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho.

“These wars are showing that we are not a peaceful people,” added Hay.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon said today a military solution will not achieve peace.

“There is no military solution, there is only political solution which can bring peace and end this bloodshed right now,” said Ki-Moon.

It is still unconfirmed by the United Nations if Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad used sarin nerve gas.

The United Nations is expected to release results of its investigation within the next two weeks.

Many world leaders have been vocal about not wanting to strike Syria without “undeniable” proof of the use of chemical weapons and approval from the United Nations.

British military scientists conducted an independent investigation which found traces of sarin nerve gas in clothing and soil samples taken from a patient treated for apparent chemical weapons exposure last month near Damascus.

The scientists concluded the samples were unlikely to have been faked, and the country is sharing its findings with the United Nations.