Condemnation of Syrian Airstrikes

Statement by the Benton County chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (Organizing Committee) regarding the April 13 Attack on Syria:

We strongly condemn the decision by President Trump and the leaders of the United Kingdom and France to attack the sovereign territory of Syria on April 13, 2018. Attack was illegal under U.S. law. This attack was in clear violation of Articles I and II of the U.S. Constitution, the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Additionally, it was not authorized by the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, in a briefing to the press just one hour after the attack began, stated that the President has the authority to conduct such an attack, in keeping with the authority granted by Article II of the U.S. Constitution for him to defend “vital interests of the United States.” No such presidential authority exists in the Constitution. Only the U.S. Congress is authorized to declare war (Article I). Under the War Powers Resolution, the president must either obtain a declaration of war or an AUMF from Congress within 60 days of using military force. We highly doubt either of these will be requested.

Even if this attack were legal, there are many reasons why it should not have been carried out:

The alleged chemical attack on Douma, Syria is still under investigation. The Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was en-route to Syria to begin an independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) into the alleged chemical attack. This investigation was supported by both Russia and Syrian governments. There remain questions about the actual perpetrator of the alleged attack. Innocent civilians and vital Syrian infrastructure bombed. Secretary Mattis, in his April 13 press briefing, spouted the standard assurances about limiting civilian casualties using precise target selection and weapons. “Collateral damage” assessments have not yet been made public, but it is all too certain that many innocent civilians were murdered in this attack. Of particular concern is the dispersal of chemical agents, made airborne by U.S. bombs on possible Syrian chemical facilities.

Lack of Diplomacy. Since taking office in January 2017, President Trump has terminated all diplomacy aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis and bringing Syrian civil warring parties to the negotiating table. Forgoing the diplomatic process and opting for a military attack is a violation of the U.N. charter and international law.

Increased tension with Russia. After months of President Trump hurling threats, insults, and diplomatic and economic sanctions at Russia, tensions between Moscow and Washington have not been higher since the Cold War ended in 1990. Russia has far more to lose in Syria  than the U.S. could lose. We fear that Russia and the United States will continue to escalate tensions after this attack, transparency and diplomacy will suffer, and open hostility between the two superpowers will grow.

Moral Hypocrisy. The United States has repeatedly condemned the alleged April 7 chemical attack on Douma while maintaining vast stockpiles of nerve agents and chemical weapons itself. The U.S. has repeatedly, over many decades, used illegal weapons, including Agent Orange, depleted uranium and white phosphorus munitions (not to mention it being the only country in the world to have used nuclear weapons), in clear violation of international law. To condemn the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons on innocent civilians is the height of moral hypocrisy and turpitude.

The Benton County DSA and Democratic Socialists the world over stand in solidarity with the innocent people and workers of the Syrian Arab Republic in condemning the unjustified and illegal attack on their country on April 13, 2018 by the capitalist, imperialist regimes of the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

-Bart Bolger

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