Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

U.S. Congress Divided over Syria Strike

U.S. Congress Divided over Syria Strike

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress is divided over Thursday's missile strike at Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, with some lawmakers voicing strong support while others questioning its constitutionality.
The U.S. military fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian military base after a chemical attack in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, which killed at least 70 people, mostly civilians. The Trump administration held the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad responsible for Tuesday's gas attack.
Most Congress members were not notified of the military action as they were preparing to leave Washington D.C. for a two-week recess.
Reaction to the strike mostly followed a partisan line as most Republican lawmakers endorsed Trump's action, while most Democrats were opposed on the grounds that he needed authorization of Congress for acts of war.
Republican congressional leaders largely supported Trump's move as an appropriate response to the chemical attack in Syria.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, who voiced opposition in 2013 when former President Barack Obama sought Congress' authorization for military action in Syria, took a U-turn in his stance to praise Trump's action as "appropriate and just."
"These tactical strikes make clear that the Assad regime can no longer count on Americans inaction as it carries out atrocities against the Syrian people," Ryan said in a statement issued Thursday night.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, also expressed support to "both the action and objective" of the strike ordered by Trump. (Xinhua)