‘We need to extricate from the Middle East, not escalate’: Dem lawmakers question Syria strike

[enhanced_deficit]

Not sure if any conservative GOP or America-First leaders have spoken out against latest global intervention by progressive Dems.


‘We need to extricate from the Middle East, not escalate’: Dem lawmakers question Syria air strike

By Michael Arria February 26, 2021


Rep Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks at a rally against Mike Pompeo’s nomination for Secretary of State on April 11, 2018, in Washington. (Photo via MoveOn.org)
The Biden administration has carried out its first military action, bombing facilities in eastern Syria. A war monitor reported that 22 people or more were killed. The Pentagon says the strike targeted Iran-backed militias and came in response to a rocket attack on US-led forces in Iraq earlier this month.

A number of congressional Democrats have expressed concern over the strike and have called for a legal briefing.

“The American people deserve to hear the Administration’s rationale for these strikes and its legal justification for acting without coming to Congress,” Virginia Senator Tim Kaine told Politico. “Offensive military action without congressional approval is not constitutional absent extraordinary circumstances,” he added. “Congress must be fully briefed on this matter expeditiously.”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy told the website: “Congress should hold this administration to the same standard it did prior administrations, and require clear legal justifications for military action, especially inside theaters like Syria, where Congress has not explicitly authorized any American military action.”

California Rep. Ro Khanna put out a statement connecting Biden’s actions to the foreign policy of his predecessors.

“This makes President Biden the seventh consecutive US president to order strikes in the Middle East.” said Khanna. “There is absolutely no justification for a president to authorize a military strike that is not in self-defense against an imminent threat without congressional authorization. We need to extricate from the Middle East, not escalate. The President should not be taking these actions without seeking explicit authorization…I spoke against endless war with Trump, and I will speak out against it when we have a Democratic President.”

https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/we-ne...ia-air-strike/


But to be devil's advocate, if we won't defend our closest democratic allies in mideast, who will?



Israel Stops Reported Attack Attempt Near Syria's Golan Heights

An Unintended Syria Air Clash Could Pull Biden Into Conflict Involving Russia, Israel
2/10/21
newsweek.com/unintended-syria-air-clash-pull-biden-conflict-russia-israel-1568436

Wave Of Israeli Air Strikes Hit Syria-Iraq Border
Mia Heaphy
February 17, 2021

Israel said very pleased with US strikes in Syria: 'Biden is not Obama'
TOI, Feb 26, 2021

Top US General Says American Troops Should Be Ready To Die For Israel


Last administration that Biden was part of supported a bloody civil war in Syria and faced allegation of supplying weapons to terrorists who were attacking Christians in Syria.




Although him and his last boss were called 'political slaves' of neocon lobbies in social media, to be fair his then boss had faced all sorts of pressures including from some nefarious tools of foreign-firster interests.

Publisher of the ‘Atlanta Jewish Times’ suggests Mossad should assassinate Obama over US Iran-Syria policy
Adam Horowitz on January 20, 2012



Related


Is Obama being blackmailed to attack Iran?

Ted Cruz Says Obama Should Threaten Iran

Top neo-con: Obama can save his presidency by bombing Iran



Iraq/Afghanistan wars disabled 624,000 US troops , Divorces up 42%, Foreclosures up 217%

[enhanced_deficit]

MSM has not reported that Biden is facing same pressures as his last boss was facing, so above news reports shouldbe read with grains of salt till confirmed by mainstream outlets like NYT, CNN, Foxnews etc.


10-20 American mouthpieces for Israeli government had unrivaled access to Obama White House — Former Obama Deputy NSA

By Philip Weiss February 24, 2021
Barack Obama talks with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, after delivering a statement on the murder of journalist Jim Foley by the terrorist group ISIL, at the Edgartown School in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Aug. 20, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser under President Obama, says that he had to meet with Israel lobbyists as much as all other interest groups combined; that these lobbyists were a tiny segment of the American Jewish community, the same 10 to 20 individuals; they invariably took the position of the Israeli government; and were apparently scripted by the Israelis in some cases.
He also said that White House national security aides were expected to appear at the Israel lobby group AIPAC’s annual conference, but if they paid attention to Arab-American or peace groups, they could “get in trouble.”
The Israel lobby’s access was reinforced by compliant media and Congress, with members of Congress at times warning Rhodes about the “acute” financial threat of taking on the lobby.

https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/10-20...-house-rhodes/


Likely Un-Related

Trump tweets image depicting Clinton, cash and the Star of David




Donald Trump: I meant that Obama founded ISIS, literally
CNN
Aug 12, 2016 — Donald Trump said Thursday that he meant exactly what he said when he called President Barack Obama the "founder of ISIS"

[bv3]

And it won't end until the flower of a generation has been completely used up.

[enhanced_deficit]

And it won't end until the flower of a generation has been completely used up.

I dunno, both Trump and Biden recently made powerful uplifting statements suggesting that "our best days are still ahead of us".


And well-funded GOPA wing rises to the occasion as usual with Sen. Rand being the lone major GOP voice in opposition.
Like Rubio, Ted Cruz has not said much even though he's supposed to have already returned back from Cancun.

“I condemn meddling in Syria’s civil war,” Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said in a tweet. “I also condemn attacking a sovereign nation without authority. What authority does [Biden] have to strike Syria?”

Lead Republicans and some Democrats quickly praised the operation, saying it sent a strong message to Iran and could deter its proxies from future violent acts against American troops.

“Today’s airstrike demonstrates President Biden’s resolve to prevent Iran from targeting America’s personnel and allies with impunity,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “It was a strong act that will surely send a message to Tehran that our country will not abide destabilizing actions from its forces or its proxies.”

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., voiced strong, but measured support.

“While the military strike was necessary to protect our personnel in the region and deter further attacks,” he said, “I have spoken with the Biden administration’s national security team and they are committed to using diplomacy and engagement with Iran, and also working with our allies and partners in the region to deescalate tensions going forward. I strongly support this effort.”

House Armed Services Committee ranking member Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and his Senate counterpart Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., also voiced support. Inhofe called the airstrikes correct and proportionate, but also threw in barbed criticism of Biden’s efforts to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal.

“The fact that Iran chose to escalate shortly after the administration declared its desire to resume negotiations with Tehran has not gone unnoticed,” Inhofe said in a statement. “I hope the administration rethinks its current negotiating strategy with Iran and works with Congress on a bipartisan approach.”

Progressives and some of the antiwar groups they worked with to secure Biden’s commitment to end U.S. support for offensive military operations in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates expressed dismay on Friday.

“We need to extricate from the Middle East, not escalate,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said in a statement Friday. “The president should not be taking these actions without seeking explicit authorization instead of relying on broad, outdated [authorizations]. I spoke against endless war [under] Trump, and I will speak out against it when we have a Democratic President.”

The Associated Press