Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Italy to meet with  the G7 industrialized nations this week and the crisis in Syria will be on the agenda. Last week the U.S. fired dozens of missiles at an air base in Syria where chemical weapons were launched that killed more than 80 people and injured dozens more.  Congressman Bacon agrees the air strike on Syria was necessary but there are no winners here.

Congressman Bacon says, “I thought we needed to do a one time strike to deter Assad from doing this again because it is unacceptable to do chemical warfare attacks on your own people. However, on the other side of this are no good players in Syria.  Both sides are barbaric.  Assad is bad and so is ISIS.  You hit one you help the other one out.”

Congressman Bacon says we have to use our force there very cautiously and carefully, particularly with the Russians there. We don’t want to have a war with Russia over Syria.

After Secretary of State Tillerson meets with the G7 he will head to Russia to meet with officials there. Congressman Bacon says this too must be done with care.  He says, “I think it is just good to have an honest sit down meeting with the Russian counterpart and let them know we are different than the previous administration and there are some things we are not going to be marshmallows about – like your alliance with Assad.”  He says we must also send a message to Russia that the U.S. will stand firm with our allies.