Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany ‘Smells Trap’ With Syria

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL) -- The U.S. Congress has its work cut out for it next week when it must act on a resolution from President Barack Obama which would authorize the use of military force in Syria, according to U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany.

My concern is that we're dealing with a very complex civil war in Syria with multiple actors and proxy forces--including the Russians, the Iranians, al Queda on the other side of the ledger. So there are really no good actors on either side of this, which makes it difficult for the U.S. So we need to understand if we're going to commit military force because of this chemical weapons usage, what is that we're trying to achieve realistically and how does it fit into a broader strategy to get a favorable outcome to the United States. Those are big unanswered questions.

Boustany believes the resolution from Obama to Congress is "very broad" and "opens the door to any type of military action to deter Syria's ability to use chemical weapons," but what concerns him is the possible use of "boots on the ground," which he says would probably be necessary to secure any chemical weapons sites.

Boustany is also concerned that third-party forces in the region--such as the Iranians--are trying to draw the U.S. into a "protracted conflict."

I smell a trap, and I'm concerned about it...It's a very dangerous situation. This is the most serious one, certainly I've faced since I've been in Congress. But I think this is more dangerous than when we went into Afghanistan and Iraq.

To listen to the full interview with Boustany, click on the 'Play' button below.