Pro-Israel groups publicly back U.S. action in Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three influential pro-Israel groups urged U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday to authorize President Barack Obama to launch an attack on Syria, signalling a stepped-up lobbying effort for American military action.

The statements by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) represented the groups' most public show of support for U.S. military action since the August 21 attack near Damascus in which Syria's government is accused of using chemical weapons to kill more than 1,400 people.