Obama Censured on Syria: Could “Put U.S. Directly at War With Russia”
A New York times editorial dated Oct. 28 rebukes the Obama administration for what it calls “the military escalation in Iraq and Syria,” denounces Congress for not objecting to the fact that Obama has gone to war without Congressional authorization, and warns that it could lead to a direct war with Russia.
The Times editorial states:
“The Obama administration is taking steps to expand a military campaign that remains untethered to any coherent strategy…Instead of challenging an escalation of American military forces in the Syrian war, several prominent members of Congress are irresponsibly demanding even more hawkish approaches… The Pentagon continues to call the military campaign in Syria and Iraq an `advise and assist’ mission, a characterization that was misleading when the campaign began and is now absurd. By incrementally increasing its combat role in a vast, complicated battleground, the United States is being sucked into a new Middle East war.”
The editorial then says the Obama policy “lacks a legal framework and an attainable goal,” and adds:
“With a few exceptions, lawmakers seem completely unconcerned that they are allowing a president to go to war without formal authorization from Congress… Taking on Mr. Assad…would almost certainly be catastrophic because it would put the United States directly at war with Russia and Iran, which aid him militarily. Even if Washington were to prevail in forcing him from power, that could serve to embolden the Islamic State, which would only lead to more carnage.”
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