Imperial Presidency

President Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

"And if, in fact, we can take limited, tailored approaches, not getting drawn into a long conflict, not a repetition of, you know, Iraq, which I know a lot of people are worried about – but if we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, stop doing this, that can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term, and may have a positive impact on our national security over the long term and may have a positive impact in the sense that chemical weapons are not used again on innocent civilians." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPresident Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

President Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

"And if, in fact, we can take limited, tailored approaches, not getting drawn into a long conflict, not a repetition of, you know, Iraq, which I know a lot of people are worried about – but if we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, stop doing this, that can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term, and may have a positive impact on our national security over the long term and may have a positive impact in the sense that chemical weapons are not used again on innocent civilians." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPresident Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

President Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

"And if, in fact, we can take limited, tailored approaches, not getting drawn into a long conflict, not a repetition of, you know, Iraq, which I know a lot of people are worried about – but if we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, stop doing this, that can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term, and may have a positive impact on our national security over the long term and may have a positive impact in the sense that chemical weapons are not used again on innocent civilians." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPresident Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria

U.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

"Having assumed for months that the United States was unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria, the Defense Department has been thrust onto a war footing that has made many in the armed services uneasy, according to interviews with more than a dozen military officers ranging from captains to a four-star general. Former and current officers, many with the painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan on their minds, said the main reservations concern the potential unintended consequences of launching cruise missiles against Syria. Some questioned the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggested that the White House lacks a coherent strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

U.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

"Having assumed for months that the United States was unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria, the Defense Department has been thrust onto a war footing that has made many in the armed services uneasy, according to interviews with more than a dozen military officers ranging from captains to a four-star general. Former and current officers, many with the painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan on their minds, said the main reservations concern the potential unintended consequences of launching cruise missiles against Syria. Some questioned the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggested that the White House lacks a coherent strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

U.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

"Having assumed for months that the United States was unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria, the Defense Department has been thrust onto a war footing that has made many in the armed services uneasy, according to interviews with more than a dozen military officers ranging from captains to a four-star general. Former and current officers, many with the painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan on their minds, said the main reservations concern the potential unintended consequences of launching cruise missiles against Syria. Some questioned the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggested that the White House lacks a coherent strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

U.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

"Having assumed for months that the United States was unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria, the Defense Department has been thrust onto a war footing that has made many in the armed services uneasy, according to interviews with more than a dozen military officers ranging from captains to a four-star general. Former and current officers, many with the painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan on their minds, said the main reservations concern the potential unintended consequences of launching cruise missiles against Syria. Some questioned the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggested that the White House lacks a coherent strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

U.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

"Having assumed for months that the United States was unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria, the Defense Department has been thrust onto a war footing that has made many in the armed services uneasy, according to interviews with more than a dozen military officers ranging from captains to a four-star general. Former and current officers, many with the painful lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan on their minds, said the main reservations concern the potential unintended consequences of launching cruise missiles against Syria. Some questioned the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggested that the White House lacks a coherent strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. military officers have deep doubts about impact, wisdom of Syria strike

UN orders its inspectors out of Syria over fears of U.S. air strike

"UN weapons inspectors have been ordered to leave Syria early amid mounting anticipation of US-led military strikes. The inspectors had not been due to deliver their findings for a week at least, with the analysis of samples a painstaking task. The demand for a rushed early assessment reflects the fraught atmosphere at the UN triggered by US threats to launch punitive air strikes within days. The accelerated departure of the UN weapons inspectors was reminiscent of similar hasty exit from Iraq more than a decade ago, after receiving a tip-off from western intelligence agencies that US air strikes against Saddam Hussein’s regime were imminent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN orders its inspectors out of Syria over fears of U.S. air strike

UN orders its inspectors out of Syria over fears of U.S. air strike

"UN weapons inspectors have been ordered to leave Syria early amid mounting anticipation of US-led military strikes. The inspectors had not been due to deliver their findings for a week at least, with the analysis of samples a painstaking task. The demand for a rushed early assessment reflects the fraught atmosphere at the UN triggered by US threats to launch punitive air strikes within days. The accelerated departure of the UN weapons inspectors was reminiscent of similar hasty exit from Iraq more than a decade ago, after receiving a tip-off from western intelligence agencies that US air strikes against Saddam Hussein’s regime were imminent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN orders its inspectors out of Syria over fears of U.S. air strike