Livingston County’s voice in Congress is weighing in on the situation in Syria.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack near Damascus that Syrian opposition activists and first responders say killed more than 40 people. Syria has denied carrying out such an attack. Local Congressman Mike Bishop told WHMI the president issued a pretty firm warning when the U.S. Navy launched 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles at a Syrian military airfield. That was in retaliation for a Syrian chemical-weapons attack on its own civilians last year.

As for the latest attack, Bishop says President Trump has drawn a very clear red line in the sand and he agrees with it. He says if this regime is using gas or any kind of chemical weapons on its own people, it’s in violation of the Geneva Conventions and basically every modern day treaty they have. Bishop says there is a moral obligation to protect people when such a regime and that kind of abuse exist.

Bishop expects there will be a thorough investigation to determine if there is evidence of chemical weapons being used and he thinks the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be held accountable – stressing this cannot continue to go on. He says the United States is the greatest force of peace in the world and should be doing everything possible to make sure human rights are protected. (JM)