Sen. Tom Cotton: U.S. Must Corral Russia In Syria, Middle East

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said last week’s Russian airstrikes in Syria were not intended to target ISIS, but instead were an attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to destroy enemies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“This just goes to show the danger of the President’s inaction in Syria,” said Cotton, who referred to al-Assad as the “Butcher of Damascus” in a statement earlier in the week.

Cotton, who appeared on this week’s Talk Business & Politics with Roby Brock, was asked what proof he had that the Russian airstrikes were not aimed at ISIS.

“It’s pretty clear based on the territory that was struck around homes that Vladimir Putin’s military is propping up Bashar al-Assad by striking local Syrian opposition forces,” Cotton said, noting that the Islamic State is “nowhere in this vicinity” based on U.S. intelligence reports.

The state’s junior senator – who sits on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees – also offered up two immediate moves that he felt the U.S. should engage in order to push back on Russian aggression.

“The United States has to show – both our allies and our enemies in the Middle East – that we’re not going to let Russia become the main actor in that region,” he said.

Cotton said he supports former General David Petraeus’ recent recommendations to send a clear message to al-Assad that dropping “barrel bombs” will not be tolerated and that the U.S. should establish “no fly zones” in southern and now northern Syria.

CUBA, PRESIDENTIAL WEB SITE
With an Arkansas delegation recently returned from a trade mission to Cuba, Cotton spoke to conditions that would have to change for him to support a new diplomatic policy towards the communist island nation. What would those conditions be?

Plus, Cotton offered his thoughts on a web site being promoted by State Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, to draft the junior senator for President in 2016. What was Sen. Cotton’s response?

Watch the video below to see.