October 10, 2015
By Aaron Blake
...That's because, (click here) however many Americans feel Congress should approve military action, very few of them are speaking out against the decision to go into Iraq and Syria without congressional approval. To be sure, Americans would like for their duly elected representatives to sign off, but they're not exactly incensed that Congress hasn't been asked. And people largely approve of what they've seen so far, as far as the airstrikes go.
Congress has approved funding for the arming and training of moderate Syrian rebels, but the administration hasn't sought new approval for the use of force in either Iraq or Syria.
In addition, neither the White House nor Congress wants anything to do with another use-of-force resolution.
Obama saw how dicey this could be a year ago when he asked for approval to launch airstrikes in retaliation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons against his own people. Congress was primed to reject that request before the White House opted to negotiate a deal, under which Syria would turn over its chemical weapons, rather than pursue the airstrikes....
It was Congress that decided the Syrian outcome. It was Senator John McCain that sought to supply arms to unknown entities without training or organization.
By Aaron Blake
...That's because, (click here) however many Americans feel Congress should approve military action, very few of them are speaking out against the decision to go into Iraq and Syria without congressional approval. To be sure, Americans would like for their duly elected representatives to sign off, but they're not exactly incensed that Congress hasn't been asked. And people largely approve of what they've seen so far, as far as the airstrikes go.
Congress has approved funding for the arming and training of moderate Syrian rebels, but the administration hasn't sought new approval for the use of force in either Iraq or Syria.
In addition, neither the White House nor Congress wants anything to do with another use-of-force resolution.
Obama saw how dicey this could be a year ago when he asked for approval to launch airstrikes in retaliation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons against his own people. Congress was primed to reject that request before the White House opted to negotiate a deal, under which Syria would turn over its chemical weapons, rather than pursue the airstrikes....
It was Congress that decided the Syrian outcome. It was Senator John McCain that sought to supply arms to unknown entities without training or organization.
