Misadventure in Syria

There doesn't seem to be a great deal of doubt that Bashar Assad is a monster who is guilty of using chemical weapons against his own people. Both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have both provided decent evidence that this is so.

Regardless of Assad's action, an attack by the United States raises serious issues. The first is the purpose of any such attack. Clausewitz, writing in 'On War' stated that war is the continuance of policy by other means. Both President Obama and Secretary Kerry have said that the purpose of any attack is not regime change.

No senior member of the United States government has provided a strategic objective that might be achieved by an attack and it is hard to see how the United States might be in imminent danger of an attack by Syria. This leaves your corespondent to think that the only reason for launching cruise missiles and bombers (troops on the ground are ruled out) is to prevent President Obama, who recklessly drew a red line in the sand concerning chemical weapons, from looking weak.

Perhaps, if an attack does take place, it might appropriately be named the Third War of Middle East Aggression (Iraq, Libya and perhaps Syria).

Then there are the legal and constitutional issues. Although the President of the United States is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power 'To declare war, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal...' and the War Powers Act of 1973 restricts the President's authority to send troops into combat without Congressional approval. If, as spoken by Abraham Lincoln, 'Government of the People, By the People and for the People' is still a reality, then the People's Representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives must be permitted to express their views with a formal vote to approve or disapprove any Syrian adventure.

Or is our situation akin to the last days of the Roman Empire - a dysfunctional Senate and a Executive that has seized almost all power?

The British House of Commons seems to have reached the right decision although, perhaps, for the wrong reasons.  More significantly, Prime Minister David Cameron has agreed to abide by the decision even though the vote was non-binding. Before President Obama proceeds further he might want to ponder the words of John Quincy Adams: " Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy." Then he should listen to the people!

Let the Syrian opposition destroy the Assad regime if they have the will and ability. Since none of the rebels are friends of ours, the United States will  gain little, if anything, from another Middle East war and has all too much to lose in terms of lives and treasure.

Mind your own business is not a bad policy!