Former USS Cole Commander says US should not get engaged in Syrian conflict

As a military strike on Syria seems likely in response to last week's alleged chemical weapons attack, a former USS Cole commander has said America should not get involved.

Kirk was the commanding officer of the USS Cole when it came under attack by Al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen in 2001.

According to Fox News, Commander Lippold explained that the first option that the US needs to look at is to not engage in this conflict.

He said that while chemical weapons use is a moral outrage, that does not define that the country's national security is in fact threatened and that the US should take military action and get involved.

Lippold said that the sretired Navy commander said he is concerned that the White House's objective isn't clear.

Instead of moving ahead with attacks against the embattled Assad regime in Syria, Lippold said the U.S. military needs to wait.

He questioned if the US even had the legal backing to conduct these air attacks.