Battling stiff resistance in Congress and public opinion, President Obama conceded Monday night on PBS Newshour that he might not be able to convince the majority of the American people that military action in Syria is necessary:
GWEN IFILL: Don’t regret taking it to Congress?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Absolutely I do not because I – I – you know, I believe that every president has the authority to act on behalf of the national security interests of the country and that under the War Powers Act we have to consult with Congress and inform them after actions are taken.
But I also believe that when it comes to an issue like this – and these are going to be the kinds of issues we have going forward, not direct attacks, necessarily, against the United States, not some state wanting to start a war with us, because nobody can have a direct war with us, at least without inflicting enormous damage on themselves, but these kinds of issues like chemical weapons use, terrorists being – operating out of certain areas – in these kinds of situations, for us to start having a – a clearer conversation about what we’re willing to do is the right thing to do.
And so I’m glad we’re having this debate; I don’t think that I’m going to convince, you know, the overwhelming majority of the American people to take any kind of military action, but I believe I can make a very strong case to Congress, as well as the American people, about why we can’t leave our children a world in which other children are being subjected to nerve gas, and that it is in our interest if we can take a limited step that has a – makes a meaningful difference, it’s worth it for us to do that.
And I firmly believe that. I – I – I’ve said before, I got elected to end wars, not start them. I – over the last 4 ½ years, have done everything I could to limit our military footprint around the world, and to ramp up our diplomatic efforts. But there are times where, if the choice is do nothing or stand up to a terrible wrong that could lead to a more dangerous world down the road, then it’s appropriate for us to take proportional measures. And that’s what we’re talking about here.