Obama on Syria Air Strikes: US Wants to Show Syrians 'International Community Cares'
President Barack Obama made his case for the use of force Friday, arguing that the Syria and the world must understand "that the international community cares about maintaining this chemical weapons ban and norm."
Obama clarified that while he has "not made a final decision" regarding using military force in Syria, his administration will likely commit to a "limited, narrow act."
"We're not considering any open-ended commitment. We're not considering any boots-on-the-ground approach," said Obama, defending his strategy to critics of military intervention in Syria, who have made frequent comparisons to former President George W. Bush's justifications for starting the Iraq War.
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Obama also argued that Syria's attack was not only a humanitarian affront, but one that also worked against the best interest of America's partners in the region.
"We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale. This kind of attack further…[threatens] friends and allies of ours in the region like Israel and Turkey and Jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against use them," he said.
It is increasingly looking like any military force will be carried out without Congressional approve, as Obama has not called a special session of Congress, though in his address he mentioned that he "will continue to consult with [them]."
According to CNN, "more than 160 legislators, including 63 of Obama's fellow Democrats, signed letters calling for either a vote or at least a "full debate" before any U.S. action."
Within the realm of the U.N. Security Council, two of the five permanent members, Russia and China have threatened to veto any authorization of military force. NATO, the organization that executed the Libya operation, has said it has no plans to use military force.
On Thursday night Britain's House of Commons voted against using force in Syria, but on Friday French President François Hollande reaffirmed that he would support the U.S. in a potential strike.
"There are few countries that have the capacity to inflict a sanction by the appropriate means. France is one of them," said Hollande. "We are ready. We will decide our position in close liaison with our allies."
