Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said that “the U.S. doesn’t have a policy for what’s going on in Syria other than writing a check to support humanitarian aid” on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” Tuesday.
Kaine insisted, “We don’t have a policy in this military theater against ISIL in Syria,” and “you are going to see one more gruesome atrocity after the next and you are going to see one more strategic catastrophe after the next, as is this recent news about Russian involvement.”
Andrea Mitchell: Senator, what about something I know you have been very involved with, which is Syria and the lack of a War Powers authorization. Now we have Russia going into Turkish air space. What is the risk of either an accidental or deliberate provocation there? Turkey is a NATO member.
Tim Kaine: I think is a huge problem. I condemn the activities of Russia, propping up a horrible dictator, Bashar al Assad. Apparently you know, targeting the U.S.’s trained anti-ISIL fighters, violating Turkish air space. I condemn Russia but this definitely shows the U.S. doesn’t have a policy for what’s going on in Syria other than writing a check to support humanitarian aid and we are the largest provider of humanitarian aid in the world. We don’t have a policy in this military theater against ISIL in Syria because Congress has refused to debate it and authorize it. The president began this campaign 14 months ago. He finally sent a proposed authorization to Congress in February, eight months ago. There has been virtually nothing that’s been done in Congress to engage and decide what our strategy is and until that’s done, you are going to see one more gruesome atrocity after the next and you are going to see one more strategic catastrophe after the next, as is this recent news about Russian involvement.