WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding his decision to vote against the Obama Administration’s request for Congress to authorize military action in Syria:

“The President has not made a clear case about his strategic or tactical goals in making a military strike against the Assad regime. He has not engaged in a full diplomatic effort to mobilize international opinion in responding to Assad's use of banned chemical weapons, and proposes to enforce an international norm without any substantive support from the international community.

“Any use of military force abroad must be rooted in a coherent strategy that is worthy of our men and women in uniform and has the support of the American people. The President’s plan has not met this threshold.

“I came to this debate with an open mind. After listening, reading, attending classified briefings, and visiting with Mississippians over the past 10 days, it is clear to me that not only is public opinion overwhelmingly against the President’s proposed action but the plan also lacks the elements needed for success.

“President Obama should have been engaged for the past two years in an effort to supply and equip the moderate anti-Assad rebels. Having squandered this window of opportunity, our military is left with a very limited set of options.

“It is unclear that the limited proportional strikes described by Secretary Kerry would send the desired message. Limited missile strikes are not a humanitarian intervention, will not debilitate Assad’s forces, and have the potential to embolden our enemies.

“I urge the Administration to seek a broader solution to this crisis that re-establishes American credibility in the region and secures a peaceful future for the Syrian people.”