VIDEO: Rep. Mike Rogers Talks Syrian Crisis on CBS THIS MORNING

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said the U.S. must act soon prevent the Syrian government from using chemical weapons on civilians, in an interview that was broadcast today, March 20, 2013 on CBS THIS MORNING (7:00 AM-9:00 AM) on the CBS Television Network. Watch the appearance in full below!

 "Don't wait until we have 5,000 dead – that's too late, and it would cause a humanitarian crisis like we haven't seen before," Rogers told co-hosts Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell.

Rogers added also said not acting now would be a "stain on our national character."

Excerpts of the interview are below.

CHARLIE ROSE: Can you confirm based on information you have seen that the Syrian government has in fact used chemical weapons, or are you simply saying that there's a probability that they may?

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MICH.): I think there's a probability that they may. But Charlie we have a whole history here now that is not looking very good. We know in the past public reports have shown that they've taken chemical weapons and configured them in a way that they could be used at a moment's notice. We know for a fact that that happened. We have - there has been some forensic evidence that at least small quantities may have been used in the past. And then you have this exchange of conversation between the opposition and the government about the use of chemical weapons. And we have other evidence as well that would lead me to say that there is a probability that they used it. And the very fact that I believe they have intent to use it, raises a whole new set of questions. And why this is important, Charlie, is because we've lost the faith. The United States has lost the faith of the opposition. They even at one point turned down a meeting with the Secretary of State of the United States, they were so fed up. And our allies in the region are getting very nervous about us. If we're ever going to have a diplomatic solution where this regime doesn't get to the point where it uses mass quantities of chemical weapons, we've got to rebuild our credibility and one way to do that is to remove their capability to use chemical weapons on civilians.

To post a comment, you must register and login.