Lieberman: Time for U.S. to arm 'brave' Syrian rebels

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said Sunday that the United States should provide medical aid, training and arms to those seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

"The reality on the ground is since the U.N. resolution was vetoed by Russian and Iran [sic], the Assad government has begun to kill its own people with increasing frequency," he said on CNN's State of the Union.

"It's time to try to help the brave Syrian freedom fighters to carry out a fair fight," Lieberman said. "I think it is time to give them help. Medical help first and then I'd give them training, I'd give them communications equipment, and then ultimately I'd give them weapons."

He said the overthrow of Assad would be great moral and democratic victory for the people of Syria, as well as a "tremendous strategic defeat" for Iran.

"America ought to take the position that every option is on the table except doing nothing, because doing nothing means hundreds of more Syrians are killed and it means that Iran, which continues to give Assad the weapons with which he's killing his own people, will achieve a strategic victory over us," Lieberman said.

[Ed note: This article was edited after publication]