Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

[Sen. Feinstein] – U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today released the following statement on the situation in Syria:

“The intelligence community has assessed that Syria has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the Syrian opposition. This has now been acknowledged by the Secretary of Defense and the White House. The Senate Intelligence Committee has been briefed on the intelligence behind this assessment and has followed this matter very closely.

“I am very concerned that with this public acknowledgement, President Assad may calculate he has nothing more to lose and the likelihood he will further escalate this conflict therefore increases. It is also important that the world understands the use of weapons of mass destruction, such as sarin, will not be countenanced, and clearly Assad must go.

“It is clear that ‘red lines’ have been crossed and action must be taken to prevent larger scale use. Syria has the ability to kill tens of thousands with its chemical weapons. The world must come together to prevent this by unified action which results in the secure containment of Syria’s significant stockpile of chemical weapons.

“On the basis of this new assessment, which is matched by France and the United Kingdom, I urge the United Nations Security Council—including Russia—to finally take strong and meaningful action to end this crisis in Syria.”

[Rep. McKeon] – U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the statement below, regarding the situation in Syria:

“If the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on the Syrian people, this is an astounding violation of human rights.

“I trust and agree with President Obama that the use of chemical munitions or the transfer of those weapons to terrorists would be a red line for his administration, and with it the civilized world. As the commander-in-chief, there is a national security imperative here. As the leader of the free world, there is a deep moral imperative as well. Instead, it appears that the President is outsourcing our national security analysis to the United Nations.

“I do question the utility of red lines if they lack clearly delineated boundaries and meaningful consequences. I am confident the president does not wish for America’s resolve to be called into question.”