Politics

Obama in 2012: Taking ‘military action unilaterally’ in Syria would be ‘mistake’

Jamie Weinstein Senior Writer
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The U.S. now appears like it will act unilaterally to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for reportedly using chemical weapons on its own population — even though President Barack Obama said last year that taking unilateral action in Syria would be a “mistake.”

Obama was elected president in 2008 promising a new era of multilateralism and cooperation with the world. Just last year he said “unilateral” action in Syria would be “a mistake.”

“For us to take military action unilaterally, as some have suggested, or to think that somehow that there is some simple solution, I think is a mistake,” he said while taking questions from the press in March 2012.

WATCH:

Even though the British parliament voted down a resolution Thursday to act militarily with the United States in Syria, The New York Times reports that Obama is ready to go it alone.

“President Obama is prepared to move ahead with a limited military strike on Syria, administration officials said Thursday, despite a stinging rejection of such action by America’s stalwart ally Britain and mounting questions from Congress,” the Times said

Despite George W. Bush enlisting a coalition of 49 countries, including America’s greatest military ally Great Britain, for his 2003 invasion of Iraq, he was repeatedly derided by the media and Democrats for acting unilaterally. In contrast, President Obama will likely not only not receive U.N. Security Council or congressional approval if he follows through with his threat to strike Syria’s Assad regime, but it appears even Great Britain will not join America in its military action.

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