As the U.S. gets drawn deeper into war in Syria, Sen. Chris Coons is calling on President Trump to present Congress with a clear military strategy in the conflict.
Coons spoke at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Tuesday titled “Reviewing Congressional Authorizations for Use of Military Force.”
“When the president sends troops into harm’s way, those men and women, their families and the American people deserve clear authorization from Congress, a robust debate in Congress and a strategy that outlines the path to success. And I’m concerned, at the moment, we have none of those three,” Coons said.
U.S. military action in Syria has been steadily escalating since President Trump took office. But it’s still unclear exactly what America’s role is in the conflict.
Most sides can agree the U.S. is in the war-torn country to defeat the Islamic State and oppose a repressive government regime.
“But what does success look like? How do we define success? That requires a strategy. What are the national interests we’re defending on these battlefields”? Coons asked.
For instance, will America stop military action once ISIS is defeated? Or will it stay until Syrian President Bashar Assad is removed from power?
And that doesn't even begin to consider who would fill a power vacuum if Assad was deposed. Currently, Russia, Iran and multiple rebel groups are all active in the conflict.
Can America really pull out and let one of these powers fill the void?
Coons said a strategy in Syria needs to answer all these questions.
The U.S. shot down a Syrian warplane on Sunday, ramping up tensions in the conflict.
America currently has several hundred troops in Syria.
