U.S. Takes Military Action Against Syria

In the wake of a chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces that killed 86 civilians in northern Syria earlier this week, the U.S. military carried out missile strikes Thursday night against a Syrian military airfield suspected of housing the sarin nerve gas and aircraft used in Tuesday’s attack.

Two U.S. Navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against the target. The attack doesn’t come without risks — there are U.S. special operations troops in eastern Syria who are assisting rebels in their fight against the Assad regime and ISIS who could be targeted in retaliation. There’s also the matter of Russian military personnel stationed in Syria assisting the regime, who if killed by a U.S. strike could cause hostilities to broaden.

According to NBC News, the U.S. warned Russia about the strike to minimize that risk. Nonetheless, a Russian diplomat warned of "negative consequences" for American military action in Syria earlier in the day.

Earlier Thursday, the Trump administration ratcheted up its rhetoric on Syria, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying an international coalition is being formed in order to stop the bloodshed by removing Assad. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, along with her counterparts from Britain and France had proposed a UN Security Council resolution to condemn this week’s chemical weapons attack and call on Syria to cooperate with investigators but Russia — which holds a veto on the Security Council — called it unacceptable. Russia has vetoed seven previous Security Council resolutions assigning blame to the Assad regime for chemical weapons attacks.

It’s not clear whether Trump notified members of Congress before the strike, but reaction from lawmakers has been varied. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tweeted that under the Constitution the president "needs Congressional authorization for military action," while Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Congress will need to be consulted for any additional, longer-term military operations. Others, like Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have called for further strikes against Syria’s air force, establishing safe zones and providing more aid to the Syrian opposition and Kurdish forces. To do that, they say Congress should pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that permits longer-term action in Syria.

Under the War Powers Resolution, a president can commit military forces to action for up to 60 days plus a 30 day withdrawal period so long as they notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying those troops. At the end of the combined 90-day period, U.S. troops must be withdrawn unless Congress passes an AUMF that allows for continued military operations. Congress hasn’t passed an AUMF for the ongoing U.S. military actions against ISIS in Syria, instead relying on an AUMF enacted in 2001 to target Al Qaeda and "associated forces" responsible for the September 11 terror attacks.

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— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Navy,_USS_Carney_(DDG_64)_and_USS_The_Sullivans_(DDG_68)_launch_a_coordinated_volley_of_missiles_d.jpg#/media/File:US_Navy_031200-N-0000X-001_The_guided_missile_cruiser_USS_Vicksburg_(CG_69),_and_the_guided_missile_destroyers_USS_Roosevelt_(DDG_80),_USS_Carney_(DDG_64)_and_USS_The_Sullivans_(DDG_68)_launch_a_coordinated_volley_of_missiles_d.jpg) / Public Domain)