Mac Thornberry: U.S. and allies need to keep a ‘lid’ on Syria situation

Rep. Mac Thornberry said Monday that the U.S. cannot fix Syria but urged lawmakers to support a worldwide effort to help keep a “lid” on the situation.

“What we do speaks much more clearly than what we say, and to show (Russia’s Vladimir) Putin and (Syria’s Bashar) Assad and everybody else that we’re going to stand up and defend ourselves, putting the resources behind our military, is the strongest message that we can possibly send,” Mr. Thornberry, Texas Republican, said on Fox News.

The situation in Syria escalated again with another regime-led chemical attack on the ground over the weekend.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called on their fellow members, and President Trump, to do something to hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable for using toxic gas on rebel-held areas.

Mr. Assad and the Russian government, which supports the Assad regime, have denied using chemical weapons.