US Congress Would Consider Authorizing Military Force in Syria - McConnell

US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said in a press conference on Friday that if President Donald Trump thought he needed an Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) from Congress to take further action in Syria, then he would consider it.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday night, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha’irat, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the city of Homs. US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use in Syria's Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington blames on the Syrian government.

A number of states, including Australia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Kingdom have already expressed their support for the attack, while Russia called the US actions in Syria an aggression against a sovereign state based on an unjustified reason.

"I’d be interested in taking a look at an AUMF if the president feels like he needs it," McConnell stated. "If the president can think of some AUMF that strengthens his hand then I’d be happy to take a look at it."

McConnell also said that he would consider new sanctions against Russia if they were supported by both Democrats and Republicans.

"If they feel they need additional sanctions or we can come up with something that seems to enjoy bipartisan support, I'd be open to it," McConnell stated.

The US missile attack late on Thursday claimed the lives of 10 people, an officer of the Syrian Armed Forces told Sputnik. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the attack left two Syrian servicemen missing, four killed, and six suffering severe injuries from the fire.