Barack Obama will seek Congressional approval before attacking Syria
Today, in a speech given from the Rose Garden, Barack Obama announced that while he has the authority to act on the Syrian situation on his own that he would seek Congressional approval. This, of course, was the right decision to make and I would still argue that because the United States does not face an imminent threat from Syria that the president is wrong in suggesting he does not need congressional approval.
While this was the right decision I question his motivation behind it. It will come as no surprise to regular readers of America’s Watchtower that I do not trust this man; I always feel as if he has an ulterior motive. So what is it here, or am I just over-thinking things?
I find it interesting that he felt the need to state he could attack Syria on his own, does that mean his decision has already been made and he will attack Syria even if the Congress does not approve? Or does this mean he already has the assurance from the Republican leadership that he will get the approval he desperately wants?
Assuming that he does not already have the assurance from the Congress that they will approve his policy, and assuming that he will not attack Syria (for I do not think he will, he wants a mulligan) if the Congress does not approve the measure: by stating he had the authority to act on his own but decided not to is, in my opinion, an attempt on his part to look magnanimous and apolitical, but it is really just a delaying tactic after having been embarrassed on the international stage.
If this is truly the crisis the mainstream media is making it out to be, in order to portray Barack Obama as this great leader, why is the Congress not coming back in an emergency session to debate this issue? Why is the Congress going to wait until after the recess to act?
In my opinion the answer is obvious; Barack Obama has no interest in making a quick decision and his announcement today has allowed him time to delay acting while he tries to figure out a way to save face in the wake of Britain’s rebuke of his policies in regards to Syria while shifting the focus from him and putting the onus on the Congress to act.
This is a win-win situation for Barack Obama: if in the meantime it is learned that it was actually the Syrian rebels who used the chemical weapons to draw the United States into the conflict on their side his hasty decision will soon be forgotten. If the Congress decides to approve attacking Syria it will provide the president with cover in case, as I predict, this conflict spirals out of control and ushers in WWIII because he will be able to rightfully claim he had the support of the Congress. However, if the Congress does not approve his proposal he can claim that he wanted to help the Syrian rebels but was restrained by the Constitution and a political body that didn’t have as much courage in the face of danger as did he. He will be able to portray himself as a leader who simply couldn’t get anyone to follow him. That doesn’t sound like much of a leader to me, but that is how the propaganda arm of the Obama regime will spin this.
In the end the only person that Barack Obama really cares about is himself and I believe this is nothing more than an attempt to save face after having been embarrassed on the world stage.
America's Watchtower 
You are not OVERLY suspicious. You are INTELLIGENTLY suspicious. Obama is no leader. He is trying to get into “Hurry Up” formation against the budget battle on Capitol Hill but, he also knows that an unprovoked attack on Syria, will open him up to impeachment, and, prosecution in the International Court in the Hague as a war criminal.
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“Intelligently suspicious”
I like that! There is no doubt in my mind that Obama realizes he acted hastily and is now trying to back out while saving face at the same time.
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Yeah… He just got BUSTED, by the American People!
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Yes he did! It is about time that the people finally raised up enmasse and opposed this man.
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Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome.
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My sentiments exactly Steve. As ineffective and equivocal as he truly is he has hit a home run on this one. Either way the congress stands to be the only loser while this fence sitting finger in the wind pussy weasel not only appears to be the conciliatory genius that is not and along with this Hillary and Obamacare will ride along to bictory on his coattails.
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I hate to admit it but I think Obama hit a master stroke here, the only people more inept that this president is the Congress. They have been played for the fools they are once again.
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You got it, Steve. It is win-win for Obama. If Congress says no, enything and everything that happens in Syria he will blame on Congress. If Congress says yes, then all that goes wrong the blame will be shared with Congress.
I’m still waiting to hear how tthe civil war in Syria is a threat to our national security.
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Exactly, he cannot lose here.
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Wow, freedom of speech is a powerful thing isn’t it? Innocent people are dieing everyday in this war torn country and everyone wants to turn the blind eye. This article is abosolutely disgusting, imagine for one minute living in a country destroyed by war. Where you are unable to defend yourself and your fellow country men, women and children are being killed in the most hurendous ways imaginable. It is our obligation to help those who can’t help themselves , regardless who used the chemical weapons. Using force to eliminate even a small amount of them might not mean anything to these selfish tree huggers. However it may amount to saving even just one life. I will concur with you; Obama made the right decision today. It may seem as though congress has been pushed into a corner, however they haven’t . It is our moral obligation to do something about the escalating situation in Syria, Obama is simply allowing the congress to show the values they hold on a world stage as he should. Every single member should support their president on this issue, this isn’t a vote on minimum wage. This is a vote about the greater good and showing future generations the principles and values we should hold as human beings. Obama is a patriot who cares for his country as every president before him has.I leave you with this. What is it that you would do? Nothing, I presume your answer will be?
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Thank you for stopping by. Why is it the lives of these 100-1300 people are more important than the thousands of lives lost in this conflict before them, have you asked yourself that question?
Obama’s policies have led to much of this violence, this is a situation be created in Egypt, Libya, ans Syria. The goal of the Obama/Hillary Arab Spring was to bring into power radicals such as al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, thusly surrounding Obama’s ultimate target–Israel.
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To start with, President Obama is completely off the mark by saying he has the authority to act on his own against Syria. Unless there is an imminent threat that they are about attack us, which is not the case, he does not have the authority to go to war with Syria. He has to go to Congress first, no matter what he says or does. If he goes to Congress and they refuse to grant him the authorization to go to war, then he will still be in the wrong if he chooses to go ahead on his agenda.
I believe this is finally a time when Obama has been slapped down and put into his place. It remains to be seen if he will stay where he belongs.
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I think that Obama believes he can do anything he wants through the EO and I think this humbled him just a little bit, but he just couldn’t let it go when he said he could do it if he wanted to. He acted like a spoiled little brat with that comment, and his narcissism and pride just would’t allow him to admit he had to back down.
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He says he believes he has the authority to act on his own, but gives no precedent or reason for that belief. It may come as a surprise to the President, but just because he believes something doesn’t make it the truth.
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that will certainly come as news to him.
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Everybody is entitled to an opinion, however it really seems like people are over analyzing the presidents speech. Steve I have asked myself that question and many more like it, for example the genocide that has been going on in Africa for years. This issue is so important to the government more so then africa because of the region it’s in as I’m sure you are aware. There is a reason however why this particular event is such a big deal, 1300 people died from a single attack. When our country was attacked and double that number died sept 11 we went to all out war. This is a limited strike as far as we have been informed , it eliminates American lives at risk. No boots on the ground, the lack of humanity in this country is appalling. There is no American motive to take over israel, they are one of our greatest allies in the region. Where you get that is beyond me , a little hilarious actually. And Jackson, maybe I’m misinterpreting you or maybe even over analyzing your comments. But I take you don’t want to strike syria, is it that you don’t want war? I would hope not, because this country was founded on war. I’ve been there and I can tell you this, the military wants to protect people as well look out for the greater good of their country and this world. You need war for peace to ensue, example ww2 , if we did not go to war with Japan, would they be our ally today? I believe people should be more concerned about the situation at hand and not the politics of it.
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Thanks for coming back, I honestly didn’t think you would so I didn’t leave a proper response to your first comment. Usually when somebody says something I wrote is disgusting they do not come to see if I responded.
And thank you for your service.
We went to war after September 11th because we were attacked, while the number of people killed in this one attack in Syria is disgusting I fail to see where we can benefit from this. A limited strike is planned, but what happens if Russia and Iran get involved. I fear this could escalate quickly. https://americaswatchtower.com/2013/08/27/are-we-headed-towards-wwiii-part-2/
As far as my comment on Israel goes; I understand they are America’s greatest ally in the reason, but I question whether Obama believes it. His policies in Libya, Egypt, and now Syria have opened the door for al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood to come to power and these entities are not friendly to Israel. I was not saying the US was going to take over Israel, but rather they are now going to be surrounded by people more willing to attack them then the people Barack Obama helped to replace.
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You make a strong argument, and maybe I was harsh on saying your article was disgusting. More over there may be no financial benefit or gain for striking syria, but again I stress it is about the core values we have instilled as a country in this world. I may not to be able to change your mind but I will try my hardest. Ww3 is a defiantly a possibility, that is assuming iran follows through with what they say. It is my opinion tho, that we are doing what is right , and if the congress does approve this and there is a terrible retaliation leading to another world war. Then we go to war in the name of helping innocent people. Lets be honest for a second and look at some history. Russia, Iran and china have terrible reputations for the way they have treated there own. And it is only a matter of time before there is another world war, natural resources are diminishing at an alarming rate. We have to hold onto our values as human beings, it seems that they are dwindling everyday, people want to care about themselves only. As far as israel goes, you have a very realistic concern, however I truly believe israel is more then capable of defending itself even agaisnt terrorist organizations. We saw this throughout their history when vastly outnumbered they were able to defend their country with a little help of course. Anyways I will say this, I came across your blog just yesterday and although I do not agree completely with your views I am a fan of your commitment and bluntness on a variety of issues. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech and I respect your views even though they are not the same as mine. I will not always disagree with you I believe in the foreseeable future as you seem to be realistic on some views. However I do believe I can throw good arguments at you, it is interesting and quite an eye opener to see the way others view the world. My final thought however is this, president obama is making the best decisions he can based on the best intelligence he is given. There are a lot of other considerations on scenarios that you and I will never know, but the government in the end is looking out for American peoples best interest. And I will be honest with you, I am canadian and have wrote my comments as if I am American as I did not want people to judge my comments on my nationality but my informed opinion as canadian infantryman who’s deployed to Afghanistan twice. I’m not trying to brag or anything , so please do not take it that way at all, I am an individual who supports the United States no matter what. I just hope that my country will support yours in whatever it is they do. War is probably on the horizon however it is and always will be as long as we live. The question is, are we setting our future generations up for success and I believe we are by standing up to terrorists, dictators who treat there country terribly and people who apple the greater good of the world and people who are unable to help the,selves.
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Disgusting is one of the more tame names I have been called by people who disagree with me, and I do not take offense to it because I like to believe my posts are hard hitting and the are designed to draw a strong reaction from people who disagree with me. I think it is a great way to start a debate and this is the perfect example. We disagree but it is obvious we can be civil with each other as we debate the issues.
I don’t think you misled me by pretending to be an American, I just assumed you were and I probably shouldn’t have but I thank you for your service on the war on terror–you have done a hell of allot more than I in defending freedom across the globe and I truly appreciate it. (By the way I don’t see you as bragging.)
I am not standing up for Russia, Iran, or China in the least for their crimes against humanity are well documented, but you seem to feel as if America is supposed to police the world and that is something I disagree with. This is also something the left has disagreed with for years but now because a Democrat is doing it they are supporting it and that is where my real problem lies.
You claim we have an obligation to help those who cannot help themselves, and while that is a noble cause, the president’s only real authority is protecting the American people and I do not see how intervening in Syria helps American interests. Barack Obama stood up to dictators in Egypt, Libya, and Syria and I fail to see how the world is a better place with the people who have replaced these dictators.
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Correction’-country terribly and people who refuse to believe in the greater good of the world. We must continue help those who are unable to help themselves
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RIV, you are seeing the US from a different view than those of us that live here every day and deal with the decisions made by OUR government, in our “best interest”. You have opinions, obviously different than a lot on this post. Where I respect you having the ability to voice your opinion on what is going on, I also do not agree with a lot of what you are saying, but not everything. I do NOT feel that our government has our best interest at heart and we should not be in these foreign countries. If it is not protecting the US, we need to not get involved with our military. We have invested way too much money while our country is falling apart. We have our military positioned all over the world, while our borders stay unsecured and vulnerable to attack, where is the sense in this? As I said, you have the right to voice your opinion, but until you actually deal with things on a daily basis, you will not know what we, as Americans, see thru our eyes.
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RIV, you posted this “It is our moral obligation to do something about the escalating situation in Syria, Obama is simply allowing the congress to show the values they hold on a world stage as he should.” You are aware we have 3 branches of Government, Legislative, Executive and Judicial, correct? Why would you say that Obama is “allowing” another equal branch to do something? I also question why it is our “moral” obligation to police the world! We need to start being a bit more selfish and start taking care of our OWN citizens.
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Lou, you nailed mu position on this. I respect Riv’s opinion but I wonder if he understands how much faith the American people have lost in our president because he so often does not do what many Americans feel is in the best interest of this nation. Benghazi is a perfect example: why did the president do nothing when an act of war was committed against the United States in which four Americans were killed, yet feels it is his duty to act in Syria where no Americans were harmed?
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Lou,
I completely understand the whole idea of we need to look after ourselves before worrying about others. Unfortunately that is not ever going to be feesible, the United States in my opinion has since post ww2 asserted itself as a military superpower. So as much as we would all like to see a better economy, as well lower crime rates in the country, and a better health plan;the United States will never allow itself to lose that military superpower title it’s known for throughout the world. Yes I’m aware there is 3 branches of government, maybe my choice of words were incorrect. The point I was trying to establish was congress should support the presidents decision to conduct limited strikes on syria. Yes your right I am not american but I hold the utmost respect for your president and your country And our country went through the same sort of scenario when deciding wether to support america in Afghanistan. Much of the canadian public did not want to get involved as we were labeled as a peacekeeping country that does not need to fight America’s war. I understand it is not the same situation but it does have simularities in a public sense. I believe in the same principles as your president is portraying. I have a bias opinion being in the military,the best analogy I can use is this. Imagine going to university to becoming a teacher and graduating, but then never applying to get a job and remaining in university learning how to become a teacher over and over again. Now think of the military , imagine training and never deploying or using your skills. All branches of the military are for the most part young eager kids who want to deploy somewhere or use the skills they have acquired in some way. Now elaborating on the point I made earlier, the united states is not going to give up its military status in the world. So why not help people in parts of the world that need it. Because no matter who’s in power that is the back bone for international influence for America, brute military force if all else fails as it has been for all countries throughout history at some point in time. And your borders are far from insecure, I’m not sure where the logic behind this is or the information to back it up , but I can tell you that is not the case. America has more then enough to protect itself from incoming threats believe me, if anything Canada has insecure borders because of lack of military military might. Lastly I’ve stated a few reasons already why it is our moral obligation , foundation and principles for future generations to follow , my analogy and the fact that it is wrong what is happening. I believe that is reason enough. If this was happening in your country would you not want someone to help your country, or would you flee to a neighbouring country like so many have already?as well my final question to you is , not to be rude, but what is you actually deal with on a daily basis like you stated, what is it I couldn’t possibly understand? How would this decision to strike syria directly affect you day to day like you say, because the way I look at it unless you are on one of those warships right now I don’t see how it could effect you.
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RIV, I understand what you are saying about us wanting to be the super power, that is true. At what point do we stop this crap? We need to stop meddling in other people business. I have yet to know for sure that the WMD that are being used are coming from Assad. Do we really know for sure WHO our government is supporting in Syria’s war? No. We have a media that tells us what they want us to know and nothing more. Why should we believe them? We do NOT have secure borders, we are over run with illegals and we are paying the price. Because of the extra people, we have higher taxes and less jobs. Our voting system is full of fraud and we are not being listened to by who we put into office. The American people are just getting plain and simply pissed off. We cannot afford another “war”, without borrowing the money. We pay the high salaries of those Congressmen and Congresswomen and yet, we are struggling to make a living. They are there to do OUR bidding, not to tell us how it is going to be. We do not want a Dictator and that is the direction it is going. As I said we have 3 branches of Government, but you would not know it for all the Executive Orders that are being give, so where has our country gone? Yes it has an effect on all of us, from what the price of gas is, to having to pay those taxes and wonder about OUR country. Thank you for your service to your country. We have many brave men and women that have died in senseless wars we should not have been involved in, and YES it does take its toll on all of us, whether it is a loss of loved ones, or loss of a head of a family, or loss of a mother…we all pay the price when we send our military to other countries. I do not need to be on one of those military ships to have an effect on me or my family and friends.
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One more point: yes we have the ability and might to protect our borders, we just do not have someone in office that gives a damn to do it. We have National Guard that could do it, as well. The brute force that we have been labeled with having is coming at a cost to all Americans. We are not the worlds keeper, but it seems they think we are, until they get angry at us, then we are where we are not supposed to be. There is no pleasing some people, is there?
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Yes Lou, these counties so often state that we should not police the world but who do they turn to when they are in trouble. Many of these countries want it both ways.
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Latest news:
Senior at State Dept.: If Congress says ‘no’ to Syria, Obama will strike anyway
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/09/01/senior-at-state-dept-if-congress-says-no-to-syria-obama-will-strike-anyway-82574
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Thanks for the link, I was debating in my mind whether or not Obama would do it without approval and it looks like he prepared to do just that. If he does that should be the final straw and if the Congress had any balls they would begin defunding everything near and dear to his heart.
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Lou
Well said, your concerns are concerns I’m sure millions share as well. It seems as though your country has been in this state for quite some time.The economic and homeland issues have been pushed aside for years and now it seems to be catching up. Don’t get me wrong america is a beatiful country that has the ability to turn this around. Unfortanely it would take the nations support and commitment to change. It is highly unlikely as people do not like change for the most part, especially the rich and powerful. this is just my opinion however,Of course you are right on the media, it is up to us to determine what we take and what we determine as propaganda. CNN is a propaganda machine from my point of view and really the debt situation that America among other nations in the same scenario are in. Well realistically it will never be paid off, war is extremely profitable. Yes people will have to be sacrificed but its the sad part of today’s society. I t keeps nations alive and shows the world who’s willing to take the next step to be the powerhouse. On the other hand there is some good out of it, and that is helping others who need it desperately more then we do, which is one of the most satisfying parts of the job as a soldier. I have learned to come to terms with it, at least we both live in countries with rights and freedom. Lastly my final thought is this, if people do not change there ways not only will we destroy this world of its natural resources but I can foresee anarchy in America among other countries. Eventually martial law will take place because of massive protests and the situation will continue to spiral out of control, to a point of no return. I’m not a doomsday preacher by any means but you are right people are tired of the issues you have brought up in your past article. Fast foward 50-60 years of anger, disappointment , and dispair with the government and this is a real possibility. In the end there is nothing we can do other than support the governments that our nations have voted for to the best of our ability and hope they will guide us to the best of their ability in the right direction, because as I said earlier it would take everyone to change. Lets be honest that will never happen, have faith is all I can say.
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I think that is at the heart of the matter; we have been at war for over a decade without anything (other than the killing of binLaden) to show for it. Billions of dollars have now been spent which could have been used in this country, at some point we have to draw a line and say it is time to come home.
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Exactly! I am tired of the government wanting more and more of our money, as well. We have “issues” here that need to be addressed, but it seems we care about anyone BUT the citizens of OUR country.
RIV, supporting this government is getting harder and harder to do, when they lie to us and hide things from us. We continue to fund one major disaster after another and have nothing to show for it. We continue to pay very high salaries for people that work against us. We treat our military horribly, but reward lazy slackers. We are tired, guess that sums it up.
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Amen Lou!
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Here is a long, but excellent article from Angry White Dude, enjoy:
http://angrywhitedude.com/2013/09/the-nothing-man-has-accomplished-surprise-nothing-for-america/
Play the song that goes with it, adds to the pleasure of the article.
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