Despite the British Parliament’s rejection of military action against Syria and the demands at home for Congressional approval, President Barack Obama is weighing the option of proceeding with a limited unilateral strike, the White House has indicated.
The President will be guided by “America’s best interests” as he makes a decision on this issue, officials said after the British rejection that was seen by analysts as a setback to Obama, coming as it did after the failure to get a UN Security Council authorisation for the Syrian push. “He (Obama) believes that there are core interests at stake for the United States and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable,” National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said.
In pursuance of this line, the White House announced on Friday morning that it would be releasing a declassified version of the US intelligence report on last week’s alleged attack with chemical weapons which it has blamed on the Bashar al-Assad regime. An intercepted telephone call between Syrian officials is being cited as a critical piece of intelligence. Although administration officials stressed that Obama had not yet made a final decision, The New York Times reported that “all indications suggest that a strike could occur soon after United Nations investigators charged with scrutinising the August 21 attack leave the country (on Saturday)”.
Amid questions being raised on the President’s authority to launch a unilateral strike without Congressional clearance, an official said the administration would make public the legal justification if and when Obama orders a strike.