Obama Says U.S. Should Take Action In Syria - Seeks Congress Approval

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Posted: 08/31/2013 2:00 pm EDT | Updated: 08/31/2013 5:21 pm EDT
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President Barack Obama addressed the crisis in Syria on Saturday, saying he has decided the United States should take military action against regime targets, but that he will seek authorization from Congress before taking action.

"I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress," Obama said during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.

Obama said any action would "be designed to be limited in duration and scope."

Obama referenced an Aug. 21 attack at the start of his remarks, saying "this menace must be confronted."

"The world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical attack of the 21st century," Obama said.
"This attack is an assault on human dignity," Obama said, saying it "risks making a mockery" of the use of chemical weapons.

"Make no mistake -- this has implications beyond chemical warfare," Obama said.

Protesters could be heard outside of the White House before Obama came out to make his statement. AFP reports there were about 100 anti-war protesters and some 50 supporters of the Syrian opposition facing off outside of the White House on Saturday.

According to Reuters, House Speaker John Boehner [[R-Ohio) said the House will consider a measure on Syrian military action the week of Sept. 9, when lawmakers return from recess.

Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor [[R-Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy [[R-Calif.) and Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers [[R-Wash.) released the following statement after Obama's remarks:

Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress. We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised. In consultation with the president, we expect the House to consider a measure the week of September 9th. This provides the president time to make his case to Congress and the American people.

Below, Obama's remarks on Syria [[partial):

Good afternoon, everybody. Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case that the Syrian government was responsible for this attack on its own people.

Our intelligence shows the Assad regime and its forces preparing to use chemical weapons, launching rockets in the highly populated suburbs of Damascus, and acknowledging that a chemical weapons attack took place. And all of this corroborates what the world can plainly see -- hospitals overflowing with victims; terrible images of the dead. All told, well over 1,000 people were murdered. Several hundred of them were children -- young girls and boys gassed to death by their own government.

This attack is an assault on human dignity. It also presents a serious danger to our national security. It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria’s borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm.

In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted.

Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I'm confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.

[[see link above for entire statement....)