Susan Rice: U.S. inaction in Syria would threaten security

National Security Adviser Susan Rice warned Monday that U.S. inaction in response to Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria would threaten U.S. national security and the security of its allies, while potentially diminishing the U.S. role in the international community.

 Leaving Assad’s regime unpunished and undeterred puts “Americans at risk of chemical attacks, targeted at our soldiers and diplomats in the region and potentially our citizens at home,” Rice said in a speech in Washington as the Obama administration ramped up its efforts to build popular support for limited strikes in Syria.

  “Every time chemical weapons are moved, unloaded, and used on the battlefield, it raises the likelihood that these weapons will fall into the hands of terrorists active in Syria, including Assad’s ally, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda affiliates,” she said. If that happens, it threatens not just the United States but its allies, including Israel, “where people once again have readied gas masks.”

Rice said that Syria, Iran, North Korea and other would-be bad actors “are watching to see whether the United States will stand up for the world we’re trying to build for our children and future generations” and cautioned that a failure to follow-through on threats “could indicate that the United States is not prepared to use the full range of tools necessary.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/susan-rice-syria-96474.html#ixzz2eQNEtry7