In 2012, Obama said any use or movement of chemical weapons by Assad would cross a “red line” and draw a U.S. military response. A year later, when U.S. officials determined that chemical weapons were used to kill hundreds outside Damascus, Obama sought congressional approval for military action and then pursued a diplomatic solution with Russia.
Kerry noted the shift came after then-British Prime Minister David Cameron failed to get parliamentary approval to join in airstrikes and after many U.S. lawmakers voiced their reluctance to approve the use of American force. He said Obama ultimately opted for a better solution: a diplomatic deal that enabled Syria to give up its declared chemical weapon stockpiles.
“The bottom line is, folks, the president never retracted his intent to (use force), he just got rid of the need to do it by embracing a different approach that got all the weapons out,” Kerry told reporters at the State Department. He said the negotiated response was more effective than military action because there was no guarantee airstrikes could have accomplished the same thing.
Kerry acknowledged that people far and wide saw the sequence of events as Obama backing down. And he said that view damaged America’s effectiveness.
“I will acknowledge to you absolutely, I heard it all over the place,” he said. “The perception hurt, yes. The perception hurt.”
Kerry said, “I don’t think it’s fair because I don’t think it actually reflected the decisions that he made and it doesn’t reflect the reality of what we were able to achieve.”
democrat stooge bought into it:
And wasn’t alone
