"Your job is to hold my feet to the fire. . . So, you need to be out there everyday raising these issues, telling us when we’re doing the right or wrong thing. . . My role is to be President of the United States. . . "



http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/12/01/a-foot-in-two-worlds/

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began debating whether to authorize the use of military force in Syria in response to reports of chemical weapons use by the Syrian government.1

Because this is such a big decision, we asked every MoveOn member to weigh in on whether MoveOn should support or oppose the congressional authorization to use military force in Syria.

The results are in, and they are unequivocal:

73% said MoveOn should oppose the congressional Authorization to Use Military Force in Syria.

History has shown again and again that even a "limited" military engagement can quickly become a slippery slope to seemingly endless war. But stopping this war is within reach.

Consistent polling shows that the majority of Americans are opposed to this military intervention, and more than 147 members of Congress are on record as firmly opposed to or leaning against it. But mainstream media outlets and many elected officials are trying hard to make us think that strikes are inevitable.

So we need to unleash the power of our more than 8 million member community right away to make it clear to Congress that we oppose military action in Syria. Congress will vote on the authorization to use military force as soon as next week, and members of Congress are making up their minds right now, so we need to act fact.

Can you call your Senators and Representative right now and tell them to 'Vote No' on the use of military force in Syria?

. . .

"Your job is to hold my feet to the fire. . . So, you need to be out there everyday raising these issues, telling us when we’re doing the right or wrong thing. . . My role is to be President of the United States. . . "



http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/12/01/a-foot-in-two-worlds/

General Dempsey's warnings could go unheeded if Obama opts to strike


A multi-tour command veteran of the Iraq war, Dempsey has repeatedly highlighted the risks of US involvement in Syria
Beta

Spencer Ackerman in Washington
The Guaudian



General Martin Dempsey
'It's not about: can we do it? It's: should we do it and what are the opportunity costs,' Dempsey testified in March 2012.



There is already a casualty of Barack Obama's anticipated strike against Syria: repeated warnings about the dangers of intervention voiced by his most senior military adviser...General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and former top army officer, has highlighted the risks of US involvement in Syria's bloody civil war for over two years.

Dempsey, a multi-tour command veteran of the Iraq war, has never openly opposed a strike on Syria, something that would risk undermining civilian control of the military. But when asked for his views, in press conferences and testimony, Dempsey has tended to focus on the risks and costs of intervention. . . . Dempsey's nomination for a new term as chairman was even briefly delayed in the Senate last month after pro-war senators demanded fuller advice about Syria...In response, Dempsey listed nearly every military option mooted, from limited strikes to full-blown US intervention, and found them fraught with risk and expense. He emphasized the difficulty of staying out of the Syrian civil war once Washington launches any military action.

"Once we take action, we should be prepared for what comes next," Dempsey wrote to the committee on 19 July. "Deeper involvement is hard to avoid." . . . Even the "limited stand-off strikes" of the sort the Obama administration is now considering would require "hundreds of aircraft, ships submarines and other enablers." The impact on Assad would be felt "over time" in the form of a "significant degradation of regime capabilities," but there is a risk that "the regime could withstand limited strikes by dispersing its assets." . . .

Dempsey's reluctance to intervene in Syria is likely "the opinion of all the chiefs" of the armed services, Killebrew added, as the service chiefs are more attuned to the dangers and uncertainties of war than civilians often are....."I rather suspect that's the concern about being drawn in that he has, aside from any chairman's natural predisposition to be cautious." Thomas, Dempsey's spokesman, said the chairman simply provided his best professional advice about the available Syria military options. "The chairman provides military options to our elected leaders based on desired outcomes. He articulates the risk to both the mission and to our force, balancing our global responsibilities," Thomas said."And as the principal military adviser, he contributes to discussions about the use of the military instrument of power."


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/29/general-martin-dempsey-obama-syria

Poll: majority of Germans oppose military intervention in Syria, against backing US-led action
Associated Press


BERLIN — A poll finds that a majority of Germans oppose Western military intervention in Syria and don't want their country to provide backing for any U.S.-led strike.

Thursday's poll for ZDF television found that 58 percent oppose intervention following last week's suspected poison gas attacks, with 33 percent in favor and 9 percent undecided.

It says 41 percent believe Germany should support financially or materially U.S.-led military action, with 55 percent opposed. The Forschungsgruppe Wahlen polling group surveyed 1,348 people Monday through Wednesday and gives a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Germans are generally wary of military action and Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is treading carefully ahead of Sept. 22 elections.


http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/221628341.html

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis and King Abdullah of Jordan agreed on Thursday that dialogue was the "only option" to end the conflict in Syria, the Vatican said, as the United States and its allies weighed plans for a military strike....Abdullah flew to Rome specifically to meet the pope to discuss the Middle East crisis. The king, Queen Rania and the pope spoke privately for 20 minutes in the Vatican's apostolic palace.

The king and the pontiff "reaffirmed that the path of dialogue and negotiations among all components of Syrian society, with the backing of the international community, is the only option to end the conflict and the violence that each day cause the loss of so many human lives, most of all among the defenseless population", the Vatican said in a statement.

Last Sunday, the pope spoke of "atrocious acts" following an apparent poison gas attack that residents in a Damascus neighborhood say killed hundreds of people....The pope and the king met a day after U.S. officials described plans for multi-national strikes on Syria that could last for days, and as Washington and its European and Middle East allies said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must face retribution for using banned weapons against his people

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-jordan-king-agree-dialogue-only-option-syria-113542890.html

August 29, 2013

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We join you and the international community in expressing unequivocal condemnation over the news that chemical weapons were reportedly used by the government of Syria.

While we understand that as Commander in Chief you have a constitutional obligation to protect our national interests from direct attack, Congress has the constitutional obligation and power to approve military force, even if the United States or its direct interests (such as embassies) have not been attacked or threatened with an attack.

As such, we strongly urge you to seek an affirmative decision of Congress prior to committing any U.S. military engagement to this complex crisis.

While the ongoing human rights violations and continued loss of life are horrific, they should not draw us into an unwise war - especially without adhering to our own constitutional requirements.

We strongly support the work within the United Nations Security Council to build international consensus condemning the alleged use of chemical weapons and preparing an appropriate response; we should also allow the U.N. inspectors the space and time necessary to do their jobs, which are so crucial to ensuring accountability.

As elected officials, we have a duty to represent the will and priorities of our constituents, consistent with the Constitution we all swore to uphold and defend. Before weighing the use of military force, Congress must fully debate and consider the facts and every alternative, as well as determine how best to end the violence and protect civilians. We stand ready to work with you.


http://lee.house.gov/sites/lee.house.gov/files/Lee%20Letter%20to%20President%20Obama_Syria.pdf

"Your job is to hold my feet to the fire. . . So, you need to be out there everyday raising these issues, telling us when we’re doing the right or wrong thing. . . My role is to be President of the United States. . . "

http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/12/01/a-foot-in-two-worlds/









“The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

Senator Barack Obama, 12-20-2007
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/CandidateQA/ObamaQA/



"The reason that you have this principle is not to be soft on terrorism. It's because that's who we are. That's what we're protecting. . . Don't mock the Constitution. Don't make fun of it. Don't suggest that it's not American to abide by what the founding fathers set up. It's worked pretty well for over 200 years."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/09/obama-to-palin-dont-mock-the-c.html