Bipartisan Senate group seeks to block military funds to Syria

A bipartisan group of senators have introduced legislation to block the U.S. from escalating its involvement in the crisis in Syria as concerns mount on Capitol Hill over the Obama administration’s plan to directly arm” rebels”, according to BBC.

Senators Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Tom Udall, D-N.M,; and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced the bill Thursday to prohibit the Defense Department and intelligence agencies from funding operations in Syria.

Earlier this month, Obama announced the U.S. would begin providing arms and ammunition, after the Syrian government’s  military dealt the rebels serious setbacks.

Paul said he was disturbed by the president’s decision to reverse course and arm the”rebels”, fearing getting mired in a conflict in which little is known about the fighters battling the regime.

“Engaging in yet another conflict in the Middle East with no vote or Congressional oversight compounds the severity of this situation,” Paul said in a statement. “The American people deserve real deliberation by their elected officials before we send arms to a region rife with extremists who seek to threaten the U.S. and her allies.”

Murphy expressed concern over the possibility that American weapons and money could fall into the hands of terrorist organizations.

“We should be extremely wary of allowing the United States to be drawn into a complicated proxy war that could mire our country for years at a potentially incalculable cost to U.S. taxpayers and America’s reputation at home and abroad,” Murphy said.

The senators said the bill would not apply to non-lethal humanitarian assistance for the Syrian people provided by the U.S.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in May to provide weapons to “rebels” in Syria, as well as military training .

M.D