Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz told CNN host Piers Morgan Monday night that the debate over Syria was about "much more than the use of chemical weapons," arguing the U.S. takes responsibility for what happens there if it does nothing.
"We're not going to get a peaceful outcome as long as Assad can murder at will," he said.
MORGAN: There seems to be clear evidence this time, Assad or people acting on his behalf, have unleashed these chemical weapons on their own people. That would seem to be the general consensus of opinion. And yet, the consensus of how to deal with it is it's terrible, but we can't do anything, and the best thing is America, which has been this great super power, great global policeman, suddenly says we're not doing that anymore. You're on your own. Is that the sensible way for America to go?
WOLFOWITZ: Frankly, I don't think it is, and this is about much more than the use of chemical weapons. I don't think anyone is denying that 100,000-plus Syrians have been killed, and more than 2 million have been rendered refugees and most of that is because of the brutality of this regime. And to say we're not going to take responsibility for what is going on in Syria, we take responsibility when we do nothing. And we have done nothing for 30 months, two-and-a-half years, when I believe we had a lot that we could do and still a lot that we can do, although not as much as we could have earlier by empowering the Syrians to defend themselves to put this regime on the ropes, maybe even get a peaceful resolution of this terrible conflict. But we're not going to get a peaceful outcome as long as Assad can murder at will.