The Syrian Military Intervention

President Barack Obama’s decision to seek congressional approval has postponed the imminent military intervention by the United States and other Western countries in the Syrian civil war. This approach is similar to one taken by the British government in support of its strategic ally, but the British parliament rejected any action against Syria.

Washington’s delay, pending the congressional decision, will last until next Monday. At that point, the summer recess will be over, and legislative activity will resume. However, this break allows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to rally international support against the use of force. The Syrian leader has put pressure on various government administrations, as evidenced in an urgent note to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Security Council President and Permanent Representative María Cristina Perceval of Argentina. Assad stated that his country is now in the hands of the rotating body, which seeks a political solution in order to not internationalize or blow out of proportion the internal conflict, which the Syrian president considers an act of aggression against Syria.

A U.N. commission report that claims chemical weapons were used last month, killing over 1,400 civilians, including many children, [and] supports the Obama-driven punitive attacks against the Syrian army. On Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that all of the dead Syrians had been victims of sarin gas, the same weapon Saddam Hussein used against thousands of Kurds in 1988.

All signs indicate that the reflective position Obama has adopted will give enough time to resolve the cruel Syrian confrontation through diplomatic and political means, which the international community supports. The conflict may also be resolved through peaceful means because the U.S. is being heavily criticized for the use of force, and British Prime Minister David Cameron was frustrated by the House of Commons vote to opt out.

This marks a break from the absurd U.S. strategy that pretends to seek peace through arms in a conflict that has resulted in the murder of 100,000 people. The conflict began in March 2011, with popular protests against four decades of rule by the Assad family. All of this reinforces a strong appeal for peace, which can be seen in the following tweets, posted in nine different languages, from Pope Francis, “War never again. Humanity needs to see gestures of peace.”