Politics

Did Obama just declare war on Syria?

Did Obama just declare war on Syria?

By Eric Draitser

Published time: February 12, 2015 13:12

U.S. President Barack Obama.(Reuters / Jonathan Ernst)

U.S. President Barack Obama.(Reuters / Jonathan Ernst)

The news that President Obama has formally asked US Congress to authorize military force against ISIS is not surprising. What may come as a shock to Americans oblivious to these developments is that the administration has de facto declared war on Syria.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama presented the US Congress with a draft resolution authorizing the use of military force.Liberal pundits have lauded the Obama administration for observing the Constitutional requirement for congressional approval of military action, while many conservatives have predictably pilloried the administration for presenting a “weak” and “flawed” strategy that will be doomed to failure.However both these lines of argument are, in fact, distractions from the far bigger, far more dangerous, and far more criminal action being taken by the White House: an aggressive war against Syria, a sovereign nation.

READ MORE: Obama asks for ‘3yrs, no territorial limits’ formal war authority to target ISIS