Levin: Start planning for strikes in Syria

Levin’s speech came after he and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) last
week visited Jordan and Turkey, which have taken in hundreds of thousands of
Syrian refugees. Upon returning, the two senators called for an international summit that could
be used to start making military plans in Syria to help the Syrian opposition.

{mosads}Levin made his case Wednesday that taking serious steps
toward military intervention could help tip the balance both politically and
militarily. He said that the plans should include “limited, targeted strikes”
at Assad’s airpower and artillery forces.

“Even the announcement of a coordinated planning process for
increased support to the Syrian opposition would show Assad and his Russian
allies the serious purpose of a broad international coalition, boost the morale
of the Free Syrian Army and advance our limited goal of bringing about a
political solution,” Levin said Wednesday.

The Armed Services chairman has been one of the most vocal
Democrats in recent months calling for more action from the Obama
administration in Syria’s two-year civil war. He has aligned himself with defense
hawks like Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) who have
been among the biggest critics of President Obama’s foreign policy.

Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have aligned themselves with
libertarian-leaning Republicans to fight against any U.S. involvement in Syria,
including providing arms to the opposition.

Levin said Wednesday that he supports the Obama
administration’s efforts to provide arms to the Syrian rebels — and wants them
expanded — even as the Intelligence Committees voted last month to
block the aid over fears the arms will fall into the hands of Islamist
militant groups.

Levin noted that no one yet has proposed putting U.S. boots
on the ground, and he acknowledged there are risks with even limited military
action. But he argued that the risk of doing nothing in Syria is greater.

“More Syrian towns and neighborhoods will be destroyed.
Hundreds of thousands more families will be forced from their homes. Another
100,000 or more innocent people may be killed. The conflict could spread
through the region, and Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations could gain
safe havens from which to operate against us in the future,” he said. “These
are the likely costs of inaction, and I believe they are too high.”