WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE POTENTIAL U.S. STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA

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On August 21, 2013 Syria underwent what the U.S. government is presenting as the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Men, women and children were devastatingly massacred, reportedly, at the hands of a Syrian civil war organized by its own regime.

But going to war is notoriously clouded with political and profit-driven agendas.There are a few things we should keep in mind when considering striking against Syria.

1. IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon forewarned everyone at a news conference Tuesday, that any disciplinary action against Syria for its reported chemical weapons use would be illegal, unless it was executed in self-defense or authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

“The use of force is lawful only when in exercise of self-defense in accordance withArticle 51 of the United Nations Charter and/or when the Security Council approves such action.”

2. IT’S BEING BACKED BY U.S. SENATE ANYWAY

President Obama has sought and gained the approval of the U.S. Senate, by Senate Foreign Relations approving the “resolution to authorize U.S. missile strikes.”Senator Robert Menendez, stated that Congress needs to “make sure Assad understands he can’t just wait us out, use chemical weapons and face no consequences.”

This leaves America subject to engage in another Middle East war.

3. ALLY COUNTRIES HAVE NOT FORMALLY JOINED FORCES

In Obama’s attempt to persuade Russia’s president to back U.S. Military force, he told him, “If you in fact want to end the violence and slaughter inside of Syria, then you’re going to have to have a political transition.”

Vladimir Putin rejected that idea.

Obama continued to seek international support by visiting Swedish Prime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt, who indeed publicly announced that the use of chemical weapons is a “clear violation of international law,” (not to mention, human dignity) but followed by declaring that the issue should be tackled by the United Nations and “did not endorse Obama’s push for a military strike.”

Close, but no banana.

4. IT IS BASED OFF OF ACCUSATIONS

The U.S. government accuses the government of Syria of conducting a massive sarinattack in the Damascus suburbs Aug. 21, which killed more than 1,400 people.

Administration officials have continuously compared Syrian President Bashar Assad to the likes of Adolf Hitler, and urges that he needs to be deterred from usingchemical weapons again.

5. LACKS FORENSIC EVIDENCE

According to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, an investigative team returned from Syria over the weekend after collecting an “analysis of biomedical and environmental samples.”

After spending four days searching for evidence of chemical attacks on Aug. 21, the team delivered all of its forensic evidence to European labs for analysis on Wednesday (Sept. 4).

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For more information on the White House’s foreign policy on Syria visit:WhiteHouse.gov.