On September 11, 2013 Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes regarding the situation in Syria.
During which time he indicated he would vote “no” on any resolution to authorize the use of force:
“I have participated in classified hearings with Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, and many others. I have listened to President Obama. The arguments for attacking Syria are unpersuasive. Absent substantially different circumstances, and consistent with my 2012 opposition to intervening in Syria’s civil war, I will vote against attacking Syria, if and when Congress has that vote. I reject the President’s argument that the best way to keep Syrians from killing Syrians is for Americans to kill Syrians. America has peaceful options. We should pursue them more vigorously”, said Brooks.
During his speech the congressman indicated that one of his stated reasons for opposing a U.S. military strike against Syria was that it would otherwise help the rebels.
Rebels, he pointed out who have been accused of ghastly atrocities including, but not limited to “beheading Christians” in Syria.
“An American attack on Syria aids and abets Syrian rebels. Syrian rebels have beheaded Christians solely because they are Christians. One rebel leader killed a Syrian soldier, cut open his chest, took out his heart, ate it, and then bragged about. Another rebel leader personally executed helpless prisoners of war. I question the wisdom of helping rebels who may be even more evil and barbaric than Syrian President Assad. Yet that is exactly what President Obama proposes…”, said Rep. Brooks (source: Congressional record http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php).
See CNN video: Syrian rebel eats human heart, threatens regime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEZUraRor1o
Rep. Mo Brooks serves currently on the House Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, and Foreign Affairs Committees (source: http://brooks.house.gov/committees-and-caucuses/).