U.S. Vice President Joe Biden conducts a ceremonial swearing-in for Labor Secretary Thomas Perez at the Department of Labor September 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. Perez was officially sworn in July 23, 2013. Perez served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice before being tapped by President Barack Obama to head the Labor Department during his second term. Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks before conducting a ceremonial swearing-in for Labor Secretary Thomas Perez at the Department of Labor on Sept. 4, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Two months before the 2012 presidential election, Vice President Biden warned on the campaign trail that Mitt Romney wanted to go to war with Syria.

The video, which was posted by BuzzFeed, was of Biden speaking to supporters at a rally in York, Pa. on Sept. 2, 2012.

“He said it was a mistake to set an end date for our warriors in Afghanistan and bring them home. He implies by the speech that he’s ready to go to war in Syria and Iran,” Biden said in his speech.

Biden also went after the Republican presidential nominee when Romney called Russia America’s “number one geopolitical foe.”

“He wants to move from cooperation to confrontation with Putin’s Russia,” Biden said. “And these guys say the president’s out of touch? Out of touch? Swiss bank account, untold millions in the Cayman Islands. Who’s out of touch, man?”

President Barack Obama also mocked Romney for his comment about Russia during last October’s presidential debate.

“The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because the Cold War’s been over for 20 years,” Obama said at the debate.

Romney told CBS News last year that he would send U.S. troops to Syria if needed to prevent the spread of chemical weapons.

“I think we have to also be ready to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that we do not have any kind of weapon of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists and whether that requires troops, or whether that requires other actions by our friends and allies,” Romney said.

Romney also said he would arm the Syrian rebels battling President Bashar Assad’s forces.

Biden said last week there is no doubt that Assad’s government is responsible for the heinous use of chemical weapons.

Obama says more than 1,400 civilians died, including at least 400 children during the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack. Other casualty estimates are lower, however, and the Syrian government denies responsibility, contending rebels fighting to topple the government are to blame.

Obama is calling on Congress to approve a military strike on Syria.

Despite widespread condemnation of the attack from allies, few countries are likely to join the U.S. in undertaking military action if Obama moves forward with a strike.

A full Senate vote is expected next week to authorize the use of military force in Syria.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)