Military Action in Syria

It appears inevitable that the U.S. will engage in some degree of hostilities in Syria. The United States opposes the use of chemical weapons, especially against civilians. There has been overwhelming evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against both military and civilian opposition. Morally, many would argue, the U.S. must intervene to end the use of inhumane weapons of mass destruction.

I am not sure to what extent the U.S. should be involved in Syria. Many of the rebels are just as bad as the Syrian government. Many of the rebels are Mujaheddin cut from the same cloth as the ones we trained in Afghanistan that later carried out attacks against America. The human tragedy, though, that is occurring does call for international intervention. Unfortunately, the international community lacks the will or direction to bring any sort of resolution to the calamity. I don't see a change to the situation any time soon.

I am also not sure what the U.S. can do in the current situation. I doubt a barrage of cruise missiles is going to make any difference. The presence of the chemical and biological weapons is a grave concern and a potential threat to the U.S. and its allies. Dealing with those weapon stockpiles is just as complex as the entire question of intervention. It would take prolonged and extensive military operations to secure and properly dispose of the weapons. The U.S. at this time is not willing to commit to that.

I do know that the U.S. will soon act. I also know how many conservatives will respond. Many conservatives will argue that according to the Constitution only Congress can declare war. That is true, but they must also take the War Powers Resolution into account. According to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the President can take military action as long as he gives Congress 48 hours notice. He does not need Congressional approval for the initial action so long as he notifies them of the action. The military action is limited to 60 days with a 30 day withdrawal period, unless Congress approves further involvement. This act has been controversial since it passed and many have argued that it violates the War Powers Clause of the Constitution.However, it is the law and will remain so until the Supreme Court overturns it or Congress repeals it.

I am a conservative and I do not support the current administration. However, the War Powers Resolution has been used by both Republican and Democratic Presidents. Reagan used it on several occasions. There will be many conservatives who supported Reagan's use of these powers that will quickly condemn Obama for doing the same thing. It will sound more like partisan bickering than actual concern over the situation. Conservatives must be careful in this situation not to let their animus for Obama overrule the need for prudent action.

Again, I don't claim to have all the answers for this situation. I think that the best thing that we can do is to pray. We need to pray for wisdom for our leaders. We need to pray for true peace in the Middle East. We need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in the war zone. We need to pray for doors to open for evangelism. Our calls for prayer should be greater than our criticism for the President. And that is true not only for this particular situation, but for every challenge that we face as a nation.