President Obama apparently is leaving the door open to moving ahead
with a military strike on Syria even if Congress votes against it,
adding to the confusion over the president’s evolving position.
The president, in a surprise decision Saturday, announced he would
seek a vote in Congress on launching a military attack against the Assad
regime.
One senior State Department official, though, told Fox News that the
president’s goal to take military action will indeed be carried out,
regardless of whether Congress votes to approve the use of force.
Other senior administration officials said Obama is merely leaving
the door open to that possibility. They say he would prefer that
Congress approve a military attack on the Assad regime, in response to
its alleged use of chemical weapons, and will wait to see what Congress
does before making any final decisions on authorizing military force.
Yet the possibility that Obama would move ahead without the support
of Congress is sure to stir confusion among lawmakers, who had – for the
most part – applauded his decision to seek their input first, though
others claimed he was “abdicating his responsibility” by punting to
Congress. It would raise questions about why he decided to seek
congressional input at all, after having moved military assets into
position immediately, and then waited days and possibly weeks for a
debate in Washington.
The senior State Department official told Fox News that every major
player on the National Security Council – including the
commander-in-chief – was in accord Friday night on the need for military
action, and that the president’s decision to seek a congressional
debate and vote was a surprise to most if not all of them.
However, the aide insisted the request for Congress to vote did not
supplant the president’s earlier decision to use force in Syria, only
delayed its implementation.
“That’s going to happen, anyway,” the source told Fox News, adding
that that was why the president, in his Rose Garden remarks, was careful
to establish that he believes he has the authority to launch such
strikes even without congressional authorization.
Other senior administration officials, outside of the Department of
State, would not confirm as much, telling reporters only that the door
had been left open for the president to proceed without congressional
authorization.
This was confided by way of seeking to refute suggestions that
Secretary of State John Kerry “lost” to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey in the interagency process. “Absolutely
untrue,” the Kerry aide said, adding that everything Kerry said in his
dramatic remarks on Friday was after “fully consulting with the White
House.”
The State Department official emphasized that all of the president’s
national security advisers were in agreement as of Friday night on the
need to proceed with strikes – and that the president ultimately will.
At the least, Obama’s remarks do appear to leave him wiggle room. In
the Rose Garden, Obama stressed that he believes he does “have the
authority” to carry out an attack without the support of Congress. He
said, though, that “the country will be stronger” if Congress weighs in.
A White House statement released on Saturday, following a phone call
between Obama and French President Francois Hollande, gave another
indication as to the president’s intentions. The statement said the two
leaders agree “that the international community must deliver a resolute
message to the Assad regime” and that “those who violate this
international norm will be held accountable by the world.”
Fox News’ James Rosen and Ed Henry contributed to this report.