Even Donald Rumsfeld says Obama has not justified attack on Syria: Architect of Iraq war expresses f

Even Donald Rumsfeld says Obama has not justified attack on Syria: Architect of Iraq war expresses fears over intervention as President comes under pressure from Congress

Rumsfeld, along with President George W. Bush, helped send the United States military action in Iraq and Afghanistan

He made the remarks after President Barack Obama signaled the U.S. is moving closer to carrying out a punitive strike against the Syrian regime for chemical weapons attacks against civilians

House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday demanded a specific justification from the president for how a strike would be in the best interests of the U.S.116 congressman have signed a letter to Obama demanding avote in Congress before any military action is launched By Hayley Peterson

PUBLISHED:07:57 EST, 29 August 2013| UPDATED:12:43 EST, 29 August 2013

Former Defense Secretary and Iraq war architect Donald Rumsfeld sharply criticized President Obama on Thursday, saying he has yet to justify potential strikes in Syria.

'There really hasn’t been any indication from the administration as to what our national interest is with respect to this particular situation,' Rumsfeld told Fox News on Wednesday.

The remarks are surprising coming from Rumsfeld, who along with President George W. Bush, sent the United States military into Iraq based on flawed intelligence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Inresponse to a reporter's question in February 2002 on the lack of evidence for the invasion of Iraq, Rumsfeld famously said: 'As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know.'

On Wednesday, Rumsfeld also slammed the administration for leaking details of potential military action against Syria.

'Theidea of demystifying for the enemy what you're going to do is mindless,' Rumsfeld said. 'I can’t imagine what they’re thinking, why they would want the Assad regime to have crystal clarity with respect towhat they intend.'

With his remarks, Rumsfeld joins a growing chorus of Republicans and Democrats who have expressed concerns about war with a Mideast nation roiled by civil conflict.

HouseSpeaker John Boehner on Wednesday demanded that Obama deliver a specific argument for using military force that provides 'aclear, unambiguous explanation of how military action — which is a means, not a policy — will secure U.S. objectives.'

Boehner requested Obama's rationale for military intervention after the administration signaled that it would take action against Syria with or without the backing of allies or the United Nations. The administration has not provided a detailed justification for possible strikes, though it concluded Wednesday that President Bashar al Assad's regime is behind a large-scale chemical weapons attack on civilians.

The UK government has also said it wouldtake part in an attack against Syria without the support of the UN. Thegovernment published a summary of its legal justification for such an attack ahead of a meeting of parliament, saying that a 'humanitarian intervention' would be the legal basis.

Obama says he had not made a decision about how the United States will respond to Syria.

Theadministration was planning a teleconference briefing Thursday at 6 p.m. on Syriafor leaders of the House and Senate and national security committees.

Boehner asked Obama to 'personally make the case to the American people and Congress for how potential military action will secure American national security interests, preserve American credibility, deter the future use of chemical weapons, and, critically, be a part of our broader policy and strategy.'

In the House, 116 representatives - including 98 Republicans and 18 Democrats - have signed a letter to Obama demanding a vote in Congress before any military action is launched againstSyria. The letter argues that intervention would be unconstitutional if it is carried out without a direct threat to the United States and without Congress' approval would be unconstitutional.

On Thursday, U.S. congresswoman and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth said that she opposes a U.S. invasion of Syria or arming the rebels out of concern the weapons could be used against Americans.

Duckworth, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq in 2004, said Mideast countries should take the lead in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, also weighed in, cautioning that an attack would draw the U.S. into Syria's civil war.

'Simply lashing out with military force under the banner of 'doing something' will not secure ourinterests in Syria,' Smith said.

Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the U.S. should not get involved in Syria because it faces no direct threat from the country's civil war.

'Thewar in Syria has no clear national security connection to the United States and victory by either side will not necessarily bring in to powerpeople friendly to the United States,' Paul said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2405598/Obama-pressure-make-case-strikes-Syria-amid-fears-draw-U-S-civil-war.html#ixzz2dNEBjW1A