Obama Seeking Syria Support From John McCain
Obama Seeking Syria Support From John McCain.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is inviting former foe Sen. John McCain to the White House, hoping one of Congress’ most intractable foreign policy hawks will help sell the idea of a U.S. military intervention in Syria to a nation deeply scarred by more than a decade of war.
Having announced over the weekend that he’ll seek congressional approval for military strikes against the Assad regime, the Obama administration is now trying to rally support among Americans and their congressman and senators.
Monday’s meeting with McCain is meant to address concerns of those who feel Obama isn’t doing enough to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government for an attack in the Damascus suburbs last month that the U.S. says included sarin gas and killed at least 1,429 civilians, more than 400 of whom were children. On the other side of the spectrum, some Republican and Democratic lawmakers don’t want to see military action at all.
Obama’s turnabout on Syria sets the stage for the biggest foreign policy vote in Congress since the Iraq war.
On Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. received new physical evidence in the form of blood and hair samples that shows sarin gas was used in the Aug. 21 attack. Kerry said the U.S. must respond with its credibility on the line.
“We know that the regime ordered this attack,” he said. “We know they prepared for it. We know where the rockets came from. We know where they landed. We know the damage that was done afterwards.”
Kerry’s assertion coincided with the beginning of a forceful administration appeal for congressional support.
On Capitol Hill, senior administration officials briefed lawmakers in private to explain why the U.S. was compelled to act against Assad. Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough also made calls to individual lawmakers.
Further classified meetings were planned from Monday to Wednesday. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans a meeting Tuesday, according to its chairman, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. The Senate Armed Service Committee will gather a day later, said Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, the top Republican on the panel.
McCain, the candidate Obama defeated for the presidency in 2008, said Obama asked him to come to the White House specifically to discuss Syria.
“It can’t just be, in my view, pinprick cruise missiles,” the Arizona Republican told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
In an interview with an Israeli television network, he said Obama has “encouraged our enemies” by effectively punting his decision to Congress. He and fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have threatened to vote against Obama’s authorization if the military plan doesn’t seek to shift the momentum of the 2 1/2 year civil war toward the rebels trying to oust Assad from power.
Obama is trying to convince Americans and the world about the need for action.
So far, he is finding few international partners willing to engage in a conflict that has claimed more than 100,000 lives in the past 2 1/2 years and dragged in terrorist groups on both sides of the battlefield.
Only France is firmly on board among the major military powers. Britain’s Parliament rejected the use of force in a vote last week.
With Navy ships on standby in the eastern Mediterranean ready to launch missiles, Congress on Sunday began a series of meetings that are expected to continue over the next several days in preparation for a vote once lawmakers return from summer break, which is scheduled to end Sept. 9.
Senior administration officials gave a two-hour classified briefing to dozens of members of Congress in the Capitol on Sunday.
Lawmakers expressed a range of opinions coming out of the meeting, from outright opposition to strident support for Obama’s request for the authorization to use force.
Among Democrats, Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan said he’d approve Obama’s request and predicted it would pass. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland said he was concerned the authorization might be “too broad.” Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the administration still has “work to do with respect to shoring up the facts of what happened.”
Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington said she was concerned about what Congress was being asked to approve. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said the war resolution needed tightening.
“I don’t think Congress is going to accept it as it is,” Sessions said.
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WarSclerotic 
September 2, 2013 at 7:53 PM
It won’t work…and it’s not intended to; Obama knows that every single House Rep and Senator is going to be deluged by phone calls, emails, and letters demanding that they vote “No” on attacking Syria; the authorization bill will fail spectacularly, just as Obama intends for it to; his face saving way out of the trap he built for himself.
September 2, 2013 at 8:32 PM
Mario Toso, an official figure in Vatican said that a military strike in Syria will make things worse and the Syrian conflict has the potential to turn into a global war after such an intervention.
When such opinions from such high places are coming into the world, no wonder that Obama had second thoughts in that fateful night , when he announced the postponing of the American military strike on Syria. Look, we have laughed on him, we thought that he isn’t the best man in the job in the White House, all these may be true or may be not. A single fact is obvious because it happened :
the man has just postponed an American military operation in front of the world tv cameras and all were surprised, his staff included.
Obama is not a complete foul, he knew what consequences will be after such an announcement for him, personally and for America. He knew that and despite that fact, he took the hard, impossible way that is to confess in front of the entire world that you have second thoughts and may be you were wrong. Look, let us be clear that is a job to be done and that is Israel’s job. No trying to run from that one.
But, from Obama point of view, think of what it takes for appearing in the front of those cameras and making that statement. It wasn’t easy for him, to say the least. We are trying to be fair here, and I’m not judging things as an Israeli on this issue. He just has bought time for himself and for the entire situation; pay attention to the fact that until now, in the international issues that have occurred, Obama didn’t act in a straight and decisive way but he always kept a middle position, trying not to be the most influential factor in a certain conflict. ” Leading from behind”, remember that? It became clear to us now – and to the rest of the world, Obama included – that the ”red line” strategy was a mistake. One should not draw lines in the sand or red lines which might limit his freedom of action in the future. That been said, we still think now that, from his point of view, he acted truly like the president of the US regarding that fateful evening. And what about the rest of us, here, in our nice neighborhood? We’ll have to mind about our own business, because the times have changed and uncle Sam has other priorities; its time to grow up and deal with our real problems, too.
September 2, 2013 at 9:48 PM
“Look, let us be clear that is a job to be done and that is Israel’s job. No trying to run from that one.” Luis.
True enough Luis. The odds are high that Congress will vote not to attack. If Israeli leaders don’t realize what this does to the US attack on Iran. If the fear of an attack on Syria would mean a potential global war. The same it would mean for an attack on Iran.
Israel has also boxed itself in by saying it will not allow Iran to get the bomb. The world does not see or does not to see how this evil that has Israel in its sites can affect it. Should the vote go against an attack, Israel will have a very tough choice. Back off and hope to contain or attack. If Israel decides to attack there’s no reason to hesitate.
If things go against Israel in congress and Israel does nothing.
We’ll know that Israeli leadership also blinked and Evil has won!
September 2, 2013 at 10:13 PM
Ok, John, lets speak openly. Right now and in the following days,
”until the last moment ”, there will be literally atomic pressure on certain members of the congress from the Israeli part. One can get it all or lose it all in this game, so Israel will try to be very effective from its part. Its crucial, from the Iranian problem point of view, that the actual operation in Syria should be incisive and decisive, if the US want to avoid a later conflict with the Iranians. That is what the Israelis will explain to the members of the congress. Iran should get this message right, otherwise one will have to deliver, in one certain day, a special message, only for the Iranians. If the US doesn’t want that, then better this action in Syria will deliver the message to the Iranians, too. Obama also is seeking for the congress legit umbrella, but he will prefer a more ”light” version of a strike on Syria; such a strike wont complicate things and, from his point of view, he saved face, maintaining his red line principle.
However McCain has said, before a couple of hours ago, that a weak action in Syria is like no action at all. Very interesting fight of the titans will be in and with the Congress in the next few days.
Our bid is that the congress will enforce Obama for a more incisive action than he planed before.
September 2, 2013 at 10:53 PM
Congress will weight what a “shot over the bow” would accomplish and determin nothing. So the debate will revolve around do nothing or take Assad down. This paints a starker reality to be voted on. Who wants to take the responsibility of starting a large potential world war. Expect a no vote. Regardless of the final outcome Israel can no longer expect to avoid a war. It’s coming,either after the attack because Assad will have nothing more to lose, or Israel following through on its threat against Iran. If Israel blinks and does nothing Iran gets the bomb and sooner or later follows through on its threat to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
Time is longer be on Israels side.
September 2, 2013 at 11:00 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/02/mccain-exits-wh-meeting-optimistic-but-saying-assad-forces-must-be-degraded/
September 3, 2013 at 12:59 AM
What will history write about israel and its leadership who wanted peace so bad it was willing to carve itself into a small slice giving the rest of itself to its sworn enemies; while the same enemy was arming itself to the teeth as it surrounded Israel? Who should be held accountable for the gross abdication of responsibily toward the people of Israel? Survival of the fittest a Darwinian concept is as true for societies as it is for species. History well may see Israel go the way of the Dodo bird while thinking, they weren’t as bright as we thought they were.
September 2, 2013 at 11:30 PM
Any way look at it, this whole thing is about Iran. Why is everyone stumbling around? Could it be Iran has a nuclear surprise waiting for an excuse to come out of hiding?
September 2, 2013 at 11:39 PM
I know this sounds crazy, but here we go with another proxy war with Iran. These guys must be the most deceiptive, devious, and manipulative people alive today. I just wonder why they are so immune to attack?
September 3, 2013 at 12:00 AM
I am sure that Iran tested a nuclear weapon in North Korea. I don’t think that Iran will announce this as a fact until they have produced their ICBM, capable of hitting everywhere in the USA, and a nuclear warhead for that missile. Israel with others in their region will have to take on Iran by themselves. They should give up on the USA helping, at least til we have a new President.
September 3, 2013 at 8:33 AM
I believe other countries in the neighborhood of Israel are just as concened about Iran acquiring nucler weapons.And I point in particular to the Saudi’s that have staunchly supported the rebels along with Qatar.Jordan and Turkey as well fear the Iranians.Ostensibly,what appears as a retreat by President Obama for the nations mentioned here;might be after all a step taken backwards to later take two steps forward.By this I do not believe that if he attacks Syria-which I believe he will not-congress will bale him out on that one-but instead will reach some agreement as mentioned in this site in another article;that the chemical warfare materials be removed to Iran under Russian supervision.That move will kill two birds with one stone.It would please very much the Obama administration that there are no longer chemical warfare elements in Syria to be used by the government against the civilian population and the weapons would also be out of the reach of the terrorist elements now combating the Syrian government.And this can be accomplished without any military intervention by the U.S, and its allies.The countries I mentioned here that are against Syria no doubt understand they are in the cross hairs of the Iranians and the Russians.Moreover,it has been very sobering for them to come to the understanding ,and in particular Israel and the Saudis-that it is their problem solely to counter Iran.It would behoove these countries to be prepared to go at it alone in any military action against Iran. Sadly,the victims of the chemical warfare will not receive any justice for the time being.And this should be a lesson that should be learned well by the Saudis and Israel.