Democratic senators are urging caution as the Obama administration seeks to enhance cooperation with Russia in Syria, amid revelations that the Kremlin may have been behind a hack of the Democratic party's computer servers.
The administration’s move to coordinate with Russia in the Middle East comes as hackers, suspected to be Russian,leaked thousands of emails Friday, some of which implicatedDemocratic National Committee officials in trying to throw the party's presidential primary to Hillary Clinton. Some haveclaimed the hack was an attempt by the Kremlin to tilt the election in favor of Donald Trump.
New Jersey senator Bob Menendez told THE WEEKLY STANDARD Wednesday that the suspected Russian activity has deepened his existing doubts about working with Russia in Syria.
"I had serious reservations about engaging with Russia as it relates to Syria, because I don't think we share the common goals of what we want to see in Syria," Menendez, a member on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said. "Now, with their efforts to try to influence, from what it seems, a presidential election—and obviously that influence being that they think Donald Trump is better for them in terms of their interests in the world—well, that to me is an incredibly dangerous development and only goes further to say that they are not someone that we can easily ally ourselves with."
Other lawmakers said that Russia could not be trusted, but dealt measured praise to Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts at cooperation.
Get the Exclusive
04.24.2024