Levin: Impact of Syria strike ‘weakened’ without strong coalition

The senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee is
a key Democratic voice in Congress over a potential Syria attack, as he has previously pushed
the administration to establish a no-fly zone and arm the Syrian opposition.

{mosads}Since last week’s alleged chemical attack around
Damascus, Levin has said little, noting in statements that the administration is
consulting with lawmakers and deliberating its options.

On Friday, Levin called for the administration to immediately
send “lethal aid to vetted elements of the Syrian opposition.”  

“Doing so can change the balance militarily and also
contribute to a political solution in Syria,” he said.

The administration faced resistance to military action from lawmakers in both parties on Friday after it released its intelligence determining
that the regime of President Bashar Assad was behind last week’s chemical
attack.

More than 150 House lawmakers have called on Obama get
congressional authorization before taking any action.

Hawkish lawmakers, like Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), argue instead that the administration’s potential “limited”
strikes are not enough.