It’s time to take a strong stand
The United States has long declared itself the leader of the free world. With that leadership comes moral responsibility.
On April 7, 2018, the Syrian government once again used weapons so unconscionable that they are outlawed internationally. These attacks carried out by the Assad regime brutally murdered 75 people, including children, and left more than 500 others gasping for air, vomiting in the streets and collapsing under their own body weight. Some estimates suggest that Syria has carried out as many as 85 chemical attacks in the past five years.
The use of these weapons required a response by the United States. We must learn our lesson from World War II and make a strong, early stand against these atrocities and stop them before they become widespread.
The founders of this nation, however, enshrined in our rule of law that the president of the United States does not have unchecked power. Unlike in Syria, where leader Bashar al-Assad unilaterally orders assaults domestically and internationally, the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Act are clear: The ultimate power to engage in military action lies with Congress.
The president must now immediately brief Congress on his strategy for Syria, allow for a broader debate, and seek approval for future actions.
Before 9/11, presidents generally respected the authority of Congress to exercise its right to authorize the use of force and to declare war. They did not always agree, but they respected that the process mandated that Congress be involved and ultimately had the decision-making power. In the wake of the devastating attacks on 9/11, however, Congress overcorrected and ceded much of its power by granting the president overly broad authorities to act unilaterally. It is time to return that power to Congress.
This president in particular — who is reactionary, unstable, lacks the expertise and steady hand to navigate complex scenarios, and has close ties to the Assad-supporting Russian regime — must seek the authorization to use further force in Syria from Congress. Additionally, future actions of nations like Iran, Russia and North Korea may be calculated based on our response. Our next move needs to be in the right direction.
Congress and the Trump administration should engage in conversations to devise thoughtful short-term and long-term strategies in the Middle East. Without a strategy and an end goal, we will continue to react on an ad hoc basis rather than asserting our place as a moral leader on the international stage.