A Texas Republican lawmaker says the Obama administrationâ„¢s evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against foreign-backed militants in Syria is Å“pretty thin.”
Representative Michael Burgess said Monday he was shown the evidence at a classified briefing on Sunday.
Å“Yes, I saw the classified documents yesterday. They were pretty thin,” The Hill quoted him as saying.
Burgess added the US claims, that the government of President Bashar al-Assad was the side that used chemical weapons, are Å“suspect.”
In an unclassified intelligence report on Friday, the US claimed the government of President Assad launched a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21, killing hundreds of people. The Syrian government has strongly rejected the allegation.
Russia said the evidence Washington provided for such allegation is Å“inconclusive,” arguing a Å“regime of secrecy” by the West is unacceptable.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said the information provided to Russia was just Å“some sketches” and contained Å“no supporting facts.”
Former US congressman Ron Paul also said that the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria was a Å“false flag” likely carried out by the US-backed militant groups.
Å“The group that is most likely to benefit from that is al-Qaeda. They ignite some gas, some people die and blame it on Assad,” Paul, a long-time Republican representative from Texas, said during a Fox News interview filmed Wednesday.
Obama and his administration officials have launched intense lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to gain US lawmakersâ„¢ approval for a proposed military strike against Syria.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have both promised to schedule a vote on Obamaâ„¢s draft resolution authorizing the use of military force against Syria soon after federal lawmakers return to Capitol Hill from recess.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry plans to continue his lobbying efforts when he will meet with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and hold a classified briefing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will ask the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday to support President Obamaâ„¢s resolution.
ISH/ARA
Republished from: Press TV