Graham: Syria Strikes ‘Underwhelming’ – We’re Willing to Give Syria to Russia and Iran ‘Without Much of a Contest’

On Monday’s “Hugh Hewitt Show,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) responded to the strikes on Syria by saying it was “an underwhelming response.” Graham also said there isn’t “a strategy about why Syria matters. It seems like we’re willing to give to the Russians and the Iranians without much of a contest.”

Graham said, “Missed opportunity, didn’t lay a glove on Assad’s capabilities to wage war. We’re becoming the chemical weapons police. We don’t have a strategy about why Syria matters. It seems like we’re willing to give it to the Russians and the Iranians without much of a contest. The ISIS people heard we’re leaving. The Kurds are in a world of hurt. Because they’re very much exposed. And the military strike itself was a tactical response well short of what I thought was justified. So, he’s been a good commander-in-chief in general, but this is a major step backwards.”

He added, “I think this was an underwhelming response. Assad did not pay a big price. And Russia and Iran heard our Pentagon go out of their way to make sure that we’re not going to get in a conflict with Russia and Iranians in Syria and the president announced that we’re leaving, as the missiles were flying, he announced we were leaving. I think this is a disaster for us in Syria.”

Graham further stated that he told the president, “you’ve been more like Reagan, a lot less like Obama, but this was a step backward.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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