Saturday morning, after returning from a frustrating trip to the G-20 in St. Petersburg, President Obama used his weekly address to try once more to make the case for U.S. action against Syria. Although the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a draft resolution authorizing military action (with a 90-day limit and a ban on ground troops), congressional support seems problematic and support from a war-weary public has failed to materialize. Russian President Putin, a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of course opposes any strike, but U.S. allies are also reluctant.
The president, who acknowledged Friday that he was elected “to end wars, not start them,” finds himself in a lonely and pressured position.
With a few exceptions like John McCain–who took a beating over his stance at an Arizona town hall–GOP leaders like John Boehner and Eric Cantor, and Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, not many politicians on either the right or the left have expressed backing for American intervention in an already unstable region. It is not clear whether Obama will win the congressional approval he seeks. And he has refused to speculate about whether he would act without that authorization.
Congress returns from recess on Monday and will take up the issue.
In his Saturday address, Obama described the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack as “not only a direct attack on human dignity; it is a serious threat to our national security. There’s a reason governments representing 98% of the world’s people have agreed to ban the use of chemical weapons. Not only because they cause death and destruction in the most indiscriminate and inhumane way possible–but because they can also fall into the hands of terrorist groups who wish to do us harm.”
“That’s why, last weekend, I announced that, as commander in chief, I decided that the United States should take military action against the Syrian regime. This is not a decision I made lightly. Deciding to use military force is the most solemn decision we can make as a nation.”
“As the leader of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy, I also know that our country will be stronger if we act together, and our actions will be more effective. That’s why I asked members of Congress to debate this issue and vote on authorizing the use of force.”









