WASHINGTON
(AP) -- For more than a week, the White House had been barreling toward
imminent military action against Syria. But President Barack Obama's
abrupt decision to instead ask Congress for permission left him with a
high-risk gamble that could devastate his credibility if no action is
ultimately taken in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack that
crossed his own "red line."
The stunning
reversal also raises questions about the president's decisiveness and
could embolden leaders in Syria, Iran, North Korea and elsewhere,
leaving them with the impression of a U.S. president unwilling to back
up his words with actions.
The president, in a
hastily announced statement Saturday in the White House Rose Garden,
argued that he did in fact have the power to act on his own. But faced
with the prospect of taking action opposed by many Americans, the
commander in chief tried to shift the burden and instead round up
partners on Capitol Hill to share in that responsibility.
"While
I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action
without specific congressional authorization, I know that the country
will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even
more effective," Obama said. "We should have this debate."
The
consequences for Obama's turnabout could be sweeping, both at home and
abroad. If Congress votes against military action, it would mark a
humiliating defeat for a second-term president already fighting to stay
relevant and wield influence in Washington. It could also weaken his
standing internationally at a time when there are already growing
questions about the scope of American influence, particularly in the
Arab world.
But the White House sees
potentially positive political implications in punting the strike
decision to Congress. Obama could make good on the promises he made as a
senator and presidential candidate, when he called for restraint and
congressional consultation by White House's seeking military force. And
with the American public weary of war and many opposed to even modest
military action against Syria, Obama could share with Congress the
burden of launching an attack.
An NBC News
poll conducted last week suggests the use of chemical weapons has not
shifted public opinion in favor of taking military action against Syria.
About 50 percent said the U.S. should not take military action against
the Syrian government in response to the use of chemical weapons, while
42 percent said the U.S. should. Just 21 percent say military action
against Syria is in the U.S. national interest.
Obama's
advisers wouldn't say what the president will do if Congress does not
approve military action. If he presses on with military action despite
their opposition, he would likely cast Congress as obstructionists
allowing an autocrat to kill civilians without consequences.
"Here's
my question for every member of Congress and every member of the global
community: What message will we send if a dictator can gas hundreds of
children to death in plain sight and pay no price?" Obama asked
Saturday.
It's unclear how effective that
approach would be given that Obama himself has been deeply reluctant to
get involved in Syria's lengthy civil war. More than 100,000 people have
died in more than two years of clashes between the government and
rebels seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. But Obama
declared last year that the one thing that would cross his "red line"
would be if Assad deployed his stockpiles of chemical weapons.
U.S.
officials say that has now happened multiple times this year, most
recently on Aug. 21 in the Damascus suburbs. According to the Obama
administration, more than 1,400 people were killed by the deadly gases,
including 426 children.
For Obama, the stakes
for responding after the most recent attack were already heightened, not
only because of the scope, but also because of the scant response from
the White House when Assad used chemical weapons earlier this year.
While Obama approved shipments of light weaponry and ammunition for the
rebel forces fighting Assad, the bulk of the arms are yet to arrive.
Throughout
much of the last week, it appeared Obama was ready to make good on his
promises to act in the face of chemical weapons use. Five Navy
destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles were put on standby in
the Mediterranean Sea. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declared that the
military was "ready to go" once Obama gave the order. And the president
dispatched Secretary of State John Kerry twice last week to make a
vigorous and emotional case for a robust response to a reluctant public.
As
the week dragged on, Obama's international backing began to erode.
Russia again opposed action against Syria, this time during private
discussions involving the five permanent U.N. Security Council members.
NATO declared that the alliance would not launch coordinated military
action. And in the strongest blow for the White House, Britain's
Parliament voted against military action, a stunning defeat for Prime
Minister David Cameron, a key ally who had expected to join Obama in
taking military action.
Despite the setbacks,
Obama and his team were prepared to move forward without any
authorization from the U.N. and Capitol Hill. But on Friday, aides said
the president simply changed his mind. After a long walk around the
White House's grounds with his chief of staff, Obama summoned some of
his top aides and told them he now wanted to hold off on launching an
attack until Congress had its say.
In shifting
the debate to Capitol Hill, Obama is ensuring that a military strike
will be pushed off for at least another week. Lawmakers aren't due back
from their summer recess until Sept. 9. House Speaker John Boehner,
R-Ohio, said he expected the House to consider the force resolution that
week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he, too, will hold a vote
no later than the week of Sept. 9, with public hearings beginning next
week.
Even before Congress decides, Obama will
have to directly confront the international implications of his
decision. He's set to travel abroad next week for a visit to Sweden and a
meeting of world leaders in St. Petersburg, Russia.
There,
he'll come face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of
Assad's strongest supporters. Putin, in a pointed jab, made a plaintive
plea for Obama to take more time to consider the full implications of a
strike on Syria, appealing, he said, not to another world leader, but to
a Nobel Peace laureate.
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Julie Pace has covered the White House for The Associated Press since 2009. Follow Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
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