Kaban ni D_BystandeR: ANG NAG-UMIDONG KAGUBOT SA SYRIA

President Barack Obama unexpectedly announced Saturday that he will seek congressional approval for punitive missile strikes against Syria, but the outcome is highly uncertain as skeptical lawmakers in both parties remain wary of military action. The abrupt change of course by the White House stopped the clock for at least a week on what had loomed as an imminent attack against Bashar Assad's government for its alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians. Speaking at the White House Rose Garden shortly after consulting with congressional leaders, Obama said he had made up his mind to take military action in response to this "assault on human dignity," but he was also mindful that "we should have this debate."  "Over the last several days, we've heard from members of Congress who want their voices to be heard. I absolutely agree," he said. "I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even more effective." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced that the Senate would hold hearings this week and would vote on the resolution no later than the week after, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said his chamber would consider the issue as soon as lawmakers return from their summer recess Sept. 9.  Obama argued Saturday that retaliation against Assad's regime was essential to protect the nation's security and offered a succinct summary of the danger; "It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm." He cited an intelligence report released Friday, which concluded a special Syrian chemical weapons unit launched rocket and artillery fire that dispersed clouds of poisonous gas into rebel-held neighborhoods outside Damascus. The report also said a preliminary assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed. In the days since the alleged Aug. 21 attack on Damascus suburbs, White House officials had said they would not seek congressional approval, even as lawmakers turned up the volume on their calls for Obama to seek vote.  The president's turnabout put the focus on congress, where a potential prolonged and difficult debate lies ahead. Many newer lawmakers have never authorized the use of military force, and an unlikely alliance of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are reluctant to   do so. 

About 200 members of Congress called on the president  in the last several days to seek a vote in Congress. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., who led one such effort, welcomed the president's announcement, saying congressional votes would "reflect the collective wisdom and definitive position of the American people." Under the constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war. The 1973 War Powers Resolution permits the president to take the country to war for 60 to 90 days without congressional authorization.  Meanwhile, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and  Lindsay Graham, R-SC, who back military action, indicated they might vote against a resolution if it is too weak. "We cannot in  good conscience support isolated military strikes in Syria that are not part of an overall strategy that can change the momentum on the battlefield, achieve the president's stated goal of Assad's removal from power, and bring an end to this conflict," they said in a joint statement. Just a day earlier, Secretary of State John Kerry had made an impassioned case for action, calling Assad's  alleged use of chemical weapons a "crime against humanity." "History would judge us all extraordinarily harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's wanton use of weapons of mass destruction against all warnings, against all common understanding of decency," Kerry said.

(Bug-os ang  pasalamat sa KAHAYAG ngadto sa magtatampo  nga si JOHNNY LOVE sa iyang kinutlo nga tampo gikan sa pamantalaang Chicago Tribune. Nagtakuban siya sa pangalan, "D_BystandeR".  Natawo siya sa Sugbo apan anaa na karon manimuyo sa Illinois sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika. Ang kusog nga koneksyon sa kasayuran pinaagi sa internet kanunayng naghaling sa iyang kadasig  pagtuki sa mga nagbukalbukal nga hisgutanan dinhi sa atong nataran. Usa siya ka magsusulat nga gradwado sa kursong komersiyo padulong sa pagka accountant sa University of San Carlos kaniadtong tuig 1961.  Nahimo siyang miyembro sa usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat nga gitawag ug STUDENT PRESS.  Nahimo usab siyang   Associate Editor sa basahon  USC-JPIAN sa tuig 1962-63. Magtatampo usab siya isip magsusulat sa nasudnong magasin,  "Philippines Free Press" ug sa mga nag-unang peryodiko dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa lunhaw pa ang iyang pangedaron. Nahimo siyang mamumuo sa usa ka pribadong kompaniya sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, ESCAÑO LINES, sulod sa napulo ug duha (12) ka tuig  dayon niyang tapon  ngadto sa NAPOCOR  ug nahimong kawani sa kagamhanan  sulod sa bayente dos (22) ka tuig. Niadtong tunga-tungang bahin sa tuig 2000, nilalin siya ngadto sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika ug sulod sa napulo (10) ka tuig, nagtrabaho siya sa  buhatan sa kagamhanan sa nasod sama  sa  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS).  Karon sa pangedaron nga 68,  gihuptan gihapon niya ang walay pagkutat nga kadasig ug walay busganan nga kaikag sa pagpaambit sa iyang nahuptang abilidad  ug kabatid sa panulat.  Dili niya mapugngan ang kaugalingon sa pagpaambit sa iyang mga hunahuna labi na kon molambigit kini ug hisgotanan nga makadani sa iyang mga mata. Makadawat siya sa inyong mga hunahuna mahitungod sa iyang sinulat sa johnnylobedica@yahoo.com)