Ted Cruz: Don’t Intervene In Syria

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, questions Chuck Hagel, a former two-term senator and President Obama's choice to be defense secretary, during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol ... Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, questions Chuck Hagel, a former two-term senator and President Obama's choice to be defense secretary, during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, sits at left. Hagel faced strong GOP resistance and was forced to explain past remarks and votes even as he appeared on a path to confirmation as Obama second-term defense secretary and the nation's 24th Pentagon chief. MORE LESS
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Count Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as a dove on Syria.

The Lone Star State conservative said Monday that America shouldn’t intervene in Syria in the wake of a deadly chemical weapons attack in the country last week.

“The United States Armed Forces doesn’t exist to be a policeman for the world and I certainly hope the reaction isn’t lobbing some cruise missiles in to disagree with Assad’s murderous actions,” Cruz said on Fox News. 

“The focus should be the only justifiable reason for U.S. military forces to be engaged is to protect our national security and sadly, that has been the missing variable from this administration’s approach from the beginning as they allowed Assad to slaughter over 100,000 of his people,” he added.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that failing to respond to a reported chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime in Syria would pose a “significant” threat to U.S. national security, making it clear the administration believes intervening in the state is in the national interest.

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