Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Wanted Congressional Approval Before Striking Syria

WASHINGTON - Before the strikes in Syria, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had urged President Trump to seek congressional approval. Mr. Trump, wanting a quick response, overruled the Defense Secretary.

Administration officials noted that Mr. Trump wanted quick action on Syria as a means to back up his series of forceful tweets. Those around the president warned of taking aggressive action and inciting action from Russia.

Mr. Mattis did manage some influence in the strikes, limiting them to three sites that did not put any Russian troops in direct danger. These limited strikes seemed to temper the aggressive nature of the president's tweets of a larger, more protracted attack.

President Trump is no stranger to making tweets about Syria. Back in 2013, Donald Trump tweeted out "The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!"

This latest move by the Trump administration show the potential growing divide with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Trump's new team. Mr. Mattis is seen as one of the best voices regarding foreign policy around the world, and this move could set up possible future conflicts.

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) spoke on the strikes and stated in an interview that "We’ve got to put a check on this president, on any president, when it comes to Congress’s constitutional responsibility to wage war.”

Speaking before the Pentagon on Friday, Mr. Mattis stated that "This is a one-time shot," in regards to the strikes in Syria.

Source(s): New York Times

Support our reporting on Patreon

Interact with us on Facebook