Corker: U.S. Must Arm Syrian Rebels Despite Inevitable 'Mistakes'

On CBS’s Face the Nation, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said Americans needed to support the Syrian rebels even though mistakes will be made that may lead to arms falling in the hands of the wrong groups. 

“There’s gonna be mistakes,” Corker said. “We understand some people are going to get arms that should not be getting arms. But we still should be doing everything we can to support the Free Syrian opposition.”

Corker, who is the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Syrian opposition forces see the agreement between the United States and Russia concerning Syria’s chemical weapons as a “setback.”

He also discussed what is being called the “second war” for control of the country after Assad, and he said he had confidence in America’s intelligence agencies to ultimately figure out “which groups to support.”

Corker also emphasized that he was “dismayed” at the “lack of support” for the Syrian opposition and said Americans had to more “strongly equip” the opposition forces on the ground.