I understand the president’s dismay at seeing death and destruction in Syria. Yes, photos of dead children and brutalized families break my heart, too.
The question of the hour is this: What is our justification for attacking Syria?
Jus Ad Bellum (the right to war)
Just cause is the most important condition of Jus Ad Bellum. In this case, at what time and in what place did the Syrian government attack the United States of America or an ally with whom we have a mutual defense treaty?
The most common outcome for the aggressor country is “he who fires the first shot loses”. I point to these examples
- The Civil War – the South fired the first shot at Fort Sumpter
- WW1 – We usually attribute the genesis of this war to Germany, but it was actually a series of aggressive, unjust wars that included Austria’s attack on Serbia, and Germany’s aggression against France, Belgium, Russia, Luxembourg, England, Norway, Sweden, and finally the United States. Germany and Austria lost.
- WW2 – Ditto Germany and Germany lost in even greater measure than after WW1.
- Afghanistan – Russian aggression against Afghanistan was met by al Qaeda that the USA funded and armed. Russia lost first. The final outcome, though not apparent now, will be a huge loss by the USA. Look to 911 and subsequent radical Islamist attacks against us.
- Iraq 1.0 – We handily won the first round when President George H. W. Bush ordered troops to defend Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, our strategic allies. (Oil was of vital importance to us at the time.) Saddam Hussein started it; we finished it. We won, the lost.
- Iraq 2.0 – President Bush 43, at the behest of war hawks, set out to depose Saddam Hussein and ‘liberate’ the Iraqi people. Whereas Christians and Jews were able to live and thrive in Iraq, today they are either dead or they fled the country. Did we win? We fired first and we lost. Big time.
- Libya – Obama unlawfully attacked the Libyan government, deposed its ruler, and now radical Islamists control the country. Perhaps you have forgotten the Benghazi scandal. We fired first and we lost.
- Syria – We fired first and you can already predict the outcome.
I wholly agree with Senator Rand Paul: Trump needs Congress to authorize military action in Syria
Article I, Section 8, enumerated powers of Congress number 10: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.
It’s impossible to fire upon and bomb a city without causing ‘collateral damage’, meaning the deaths and dismemberments of innocent civilians.
I pray for the president to be surrounded by wise, Godly counselors. Now I purpose to pray even more ardently for him to give heed to those wise and Godly counselors.
John White
Rockwall, Texas
