Levin statement on White House meeting regarding Syria

WASHINGTON - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, released the following statement today after meeting at the White House
with President Obama and congressional leaders regarding the situation in Syria:

"It is important that we respond effectively to the Syrian regime's use of chemical
weapons. That is why I urged the president this morning that it is vitally important
to facilitate the ability of the vetted opposition to go after the weapons systems
the Assad regime uses to launch chemicals as well as the tanks and artillery that
defend those weapons systems. I am hopefully that we will do so. That way, the
American people and the world will see that this is not only an American effort, but
that the Syrian people are central to the response against the Assad regime's use of
chemical weapons and are fighting for their own country."