BRADENTON – Though House Republican leaders have already spoken in favor of the President's plan, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key) said Thursday that he opposes launching a military strike against Syria.

Buchanan feels that there is no vital national security interest at stake, and claims that more than 95 percent of his constituents' phone calls and emails to his office have been against American intervention.

The Congressman said he would continue to listen to his constituents and attend a classified briefing prior to next week’s vote in Congress on whether to authorize the use of military force against Syria.

“With no direct threat to the United States and no discernible military objective, I cannot support committing American military might to a civil war in the Middle East where the lines are blurred between friend and foe,” said Buchanan. “The case has not been made for why U.S. involvement is vital to our national security.”

The Congressman also expressed concern that a “limited” military strike could weaken U.S. credibility in the world and further destabilize the Middle East.

“The last thing we want to do is incite further chaos in a part of the world that is already unstable,” he said.

related:

The Incredibly Thin Case for Armed U.S. Intervention in Syria