by Juan Lynum – Guest columnist
President Obama, in a nationally televised address from the East Room of the White House made his case Tuesday for why he decided the United States should strike Syria. Pointing out that degrading and deterring future use of chemical weapons is the primary objective, Obama said use of such weapons on U.S. troops could occur if this attack is given a pass. He emphasized the hundreds of children killed and made a moral case for an attack. He asked viewers to watch videos of the aftermath of the chemical weapons on its victims.
Keeping diplomatic options open, Obama asked Congress to postpone a vote to authorize military force, until a Russian proposal for Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control is exhausted. Obama made it clear that the military is maintaining its ready posture if diplomacy fails.
But many say the Russian plan is simply an assist to Syria to undermine any current support for a strike. As the United Nations Security Council debates language for a resolution, the teeth of how the resolution will be enforced may become the hang up. Already, Russia appears to be undermining its own proposal in the negotiations.
The President made a point to address why he’s seeking the approval of Congress. Precedence. The President wants to set a precedence for future Presidents to seek the support of the nation when the international community does not join in the action, but offers more rhetoric than support.
A CNN instant poll of Americans who watched the speech revealed, 50% said he was convincing but 65% also looked forward to a diplomatic solution. This poll would suggest a national shift toward more support for the President, but he still does not appear to have the votes in the House and perhaps even the Senate. In his address, President Obama called Republicans or “those on the right” out for their new weakness on national security.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can breathe a sigh of relief as his delay and detract plan appears to be working. There is talk that negotiations can last 30 days. Americans are likely to lose any interests in strikes in 30 days if no similar atrocities are reported. Now, there is no question of the harm President George W. Bush caused our country by misleading us into war. Americans are now weary of even sending a few missiles into a country which has violated international norms and committed crimes against humanity. Forget about the thousands of hellfire missiles from drone strikes in the name of the war on terrorism that go without any discussion. Launching bigger missiles from warships appears to be a different story.
I absolutely believe the President has no intentions of putting troops on the ground or getting the United States into another war. If degrading Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ability to inflict harm on innocent children and civilians can be accomplished with a missile strike, let’s do it.
