The terrorists were prepared. Was President Obama?
First up, the president has yet to convince critics from both sides of the aisle that U.S. actions against Syria are even legal:
New theory: Obama now legally has the power to declare war unless Congress objects http://t.co/gXXrJwC0R0
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) September 23, 2014
A president who began as a champion of the legislature’s prerogative to declare war has morphed into Napoleon. http://t.co/bf2jSIUy1o
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 23, 2014
.@JonathanTurley on use of Iraq war resolution: "It's like using a warrant to go into the house of a guy you killed 10 years ago." #lastword
— The Last Word (@TheLastWord) September 24, 2014
Semper Latter: Cup Salute Given More Attention Than Undeclared War In National Debate http://t.co/M57SZ2Sr7Z
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 24, 2014
"Is Obama really going back to war with a worse legal rationale than Bush?" – superb analysis from @trevortimm http://t.co/Q8Q7tDILq8
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 22, 2014
Next, how effective is the bombing campaign? TBD:
Will be hard for US to pick who's good, who's bad. Who's really bad in syria. So many competing interests. Not obvious at 1000 feet
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) September 24, 2014
Optics in syria will quickly become US and Assad both bombing sunni muslims / could drive some groups together
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) September 24, 2014
Obama's airstrikes against ISIS may be more effective than people expect: http://t.co/qR0iJ0RgKV pic.twitter.com/ocWUphoICt
— Slate (@Slate) September 24, 2014
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And was the Khorosar group really an imminent threat as suggested by the White House? Maybe not:
.@AmbassadorRice tells @MLauer no evidence of active planning by ISIS against homeland but could with time @TODAYshow
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) September 24, 2014
Khorasan group.Several US officials say threat not was imminent. Instead, a growing worry the group could be ready to mount an attack.
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) September 24, 2014
It's also different from what we were told last night, that this was an imminent attack on U.S. interests. https://t.co/y5v4O2t6va
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 23, 2014
What about getting other Sunni Muslims to fight the ISIS Sunni Muslims? Yeah, about that:
#Iraq's Sunni tribes aren't flocking to fight ISIS as they await real changes in Baghdad's repressive practices. http://t.co/9bYHHrK8rL
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 24, 2014
Other than that the war is probably illegal, not effective, ginned up and doesn’t have the support of the Iraqis it’s protecting, we’re off to a great start.
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