Obama on Syria: 'I have not made a decision"

[KittyWampus]

NBC Nightly News- Video at link

By Jim Miklaszewski, Courtney Kube and Keir Simmons, NBC News

President Barack Obama made the case Wednesday for a strike against Syria to send a message and discourage the future use of chemical weapons — but said he had not yet made a decision on whether to take action.

“We have not yet made a decision but the international norm against the use of chemical weapons needs to be kept in place,” Obama said in an interview with PBS Newshour.

"If we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, 'Stop doing this,' this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term," he added.

snip
“Nobody disputes -- or hardly anybody disputes -- that chemical weapons were used on a large scale in Syria against civilian populations,” the president said. “We have looked at all the evidence, and we do not believe the opposition possessed … chemical weapons of that sort.”

But Obama’s taking time to mull the U.S. options for action in Syria is not the only issue causing the delay of a potential strike.


http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/28/20227083-obama-on-syria-i-have-not-made-a-decision?lite

[JNelson6563]

1. Hey, wait a minute!

After reading DU I was under the impression we were already at war with Syria! Oh and the end of the world as we know was upon us!

Julie--who wonders why we don't hear of many a death of DUers due to hyperbole ODing

[KittyWampus]

2. one wonders if there are some in State & elsewhere who have an agenda to make it all seem inevitable

[JNelson6563]

3. Or perhaps it's just an opportunity

to preen in the spotlight of self-righteous indignation?

Julie

[noise]

5. Or maybe US officials

are completely full of shit and their agenda is not in the best interests of anyone but war profiteers.

Oh but how dare anyone suggest that US officials are not acting in good faith! Their track record is so impressive.

[FSogol]

11. +1 It is just a big game of "I'm more liberal than you" for some folks.

[johnd83]

8. This post is getting almost no attention

I'll have an opinion once a decision is made. Until then the "anonymous officials" passing info can't predict what Pres. Obama will do. I think the press conferences have been to troll Assad, not actually pass info to the public.

Listening to almost any news report you'd think we've already attacked. "The US didn't wait for the UN inspectors" seems to be the current meme. Well, we haven't actually done anything so maybe we will.

[Coyotl]

4. As if it was his decision to make? Who made Obama God of Earth?

[noise]

6. It's the new kill list

Deciding which individuals to murder wasn't exciting enough.

[The Straight Story]

7. There is a difference between making a decision and the steps to implement it

like getting it approved via congress. He has to make a decision first. Part of the requirements of the job.

[Coyotl]

9. There is a difference between assuming you can start a war, attack a nation, and

understanding that in a civilized world that is NOT an option available to a nation state.

[The Straight Story]

10. They have used chemical weapons 14 times, I think we have tried other ways

and been patient.

[Coyotl]

12. That's a quote from George W. Bush about Iraq, right?

Great sarcasm, but you forgot the

[The Straight Story]

13. No, live quote from Cameron:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23877247#TWEET872096

Even his opposition admitted it.

[The Straight Story]

14. And a link

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/world/europe/syria-civil-war/index.html

Syria behind chemical attack and 14 others, British intel concludes

[Bluenorthwest]

15. So that means that those advocating restraint and those advocting bombs are all

advocating their own positions, no one is in agreement with Obama because he has as yet not taken a position. In an alleged democracy, this input from the people is supposed to influence such decision and I assume that is the case and thus I speak in favor of peace, because to make war is an admission of failure on a very basic level. Others speak in favor of more killing because there was already killing, no matter what is actually achieved by those killings from our side.
Personally I think war requires an actual objective and an exit plan or it is not really war so much as simple killing.