Failure to take military action against Syria would send a dangerous signal to Iran, North Korea and other US foes, Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.
Failure to take military action against Syria would send a dangerous signal to Iran, North Korea and other US foes, Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.
"Iran is hoping you look the other way," Kerry told lawmakers, as he made the case for Congress to endorse strike against Syria.
"Our inaction would surely give them a permission slip for them to at least misinterpret our intention, if not to put it to the test," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"North Korea is hoping that ambivalence carries the day," he said.
"They are all listening to our silence."
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel offered a similar view, arguing that if the United States chose not to act, it would appear weak in the showdown with Iran over its nuclear program.