Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a Russian diplomatic proposal that would secure and eventually destroy the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile is worth exploring.
McConnell drew parallels to the destruction of chemical weapons housed at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Lexington during his remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday.
“Even if this is agreed to, it’s still a long way off to reaching an agreement at the United Nations, to Syria gaining entry to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and to eventually securing, and destroying the stockpile,” McConnell said. “As we’ve seen in my own state of Kentucky, destroying chemical weapons is extremely challenging and requires a great deal of attention to detail and safety.”
The Syrian government is accused of using chemical weapons against its own people last month.
McConnell said he will vote against a resolution authorizing a military strike against Syria. The five-term Republican said a vital national security risk is not in play, and there are too many unanswered questions about a long-term U.S. strategy in Syria.
