Barack Obama Makes Case for Syria Strike: Celebrities React

AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI

President Barack Obama addressed the nation on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to discuss the United States' potential military involvement in Syria. The commander-in-chief said that for now, the U.S. will not launch a strike against Syria while it works with Russia, China and other allies to force Bashar Assad's regime to hand over its chemical weapons.

Obama, 52, promised that he will not send American troops into Syria. He did, however, argue that a military strike would send a strong message to Assad. "The United States military doesn't do pinpricks," he explained. "Even a limited strike will send a message to Assad that no other nation can deliver."

Shortly after his speech, a handful of celebrities—ranging from an X Factor mentor to a pro football player—weighed in on Obama's tentative plans.

PHOTOS: Celebrities and dictators

Demi Lovato: "I will always respect and honor whoever is our president. I can't imagine the immense amount of pressure he's under. Just worried."

Piers Morgan: "Fascinated to see how Pres Obama tries to persuade Americans what should be done in #Syria when he doesn't seem to have a clue himself. #CNN"

John Cusack: "Gotcha - mr president - and u sound jjust like bush - "@JPBarlow: The United States Military doesn't do pinpricks. - Barack Obama"

Kerry Washington: "Did you watch the President's address?! (I did, from my trailer, in between scenes...) What did u think? What are your thoughts on #Syria ?!"

Reggie Bush: "Watching the Presidential Address To The Nation. Who else is watching? Should we attack Syria or not?"

PHOTOS: Hollywood gets political

Shenae Grimes: "Is anyone else super unnerved by Obama's Syria speech? I'm all for peace over politics but this situation is very unique. What's your take?"

Bryan Greenberg: "Good speech for Obama on Syria. Steadfast but patient."

Jimmy Fallon: "Obama had 2 separate lunches with Republicans & Democrats today. Then Chris Christie said, ‘Maybe I DO want to be president.' #fallonmono"

Josh Groban: "Well, turns out the world is F'd beyond reasonable repair. Obama would have been a great Tevye. ‘On the other hand...'"

PHOTOS: 15 stars who could be president

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Video: How could Syria strike back at the U.S.?

Assad on potential U.S. strike: "There will be repercussions" 5:35 September 9, 2013

Assad on potential U.S. strike: "There will be repercussions"In an exclusive "CBS This Morning" interview with Charlie Rose, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad threatens an attack on the U.S. if a military strike is followed through. He said the situation on the ground "is going to get worse with any foolish strike or stupid war."

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Video: U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoil

U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoil 4:47 September 3, 2013

U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoilSecretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon warned against any action taken against Syria without approval by the U.N. Security Council at a press conference on Tuesday. CBSNews.com's Jessica Hartogs speaks with CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk, who has the latest on the unfolding situation in Syria.

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Video: U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoil

U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoil 4:47 September 3, 2013

U.N. warns strike on Syria may lead to more turmoilSecretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon warned against any action taken against Syria without approval by the U.N. Security Council at a press conference on Tuesday. CBSNews.com's Jessica Hartogs speaks with CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk, who has the latest on the unfolding situation in Syria.

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Putin: Russia might let U.N. OK strike against Syria

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia "doesn't exclude" supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proven that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press and Russia's state Channel 1 television, Putin said Moscow has provided some components of the S-300 air defense missile system to Syria but has frozen further shipments. He suggested that Russia may sell the potent missile systems elsewhere if Western nations attack Syria without U.N. Security Council backing.

The interview Tuesday night at Putin's country residence outside the Russian capital was the only one he granted prior to the summit of G-20 nations in St. Petersburg, which opens Thursday.

The summit was supposed to concentrate on the global economy but now looks likely to be dominated by the international crisis over allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in the country's civil war.

Putin said he felt sorry that President Obama canceled a one-on-one meeting in Moscow that was supposed to have happened before the summit. But he expressed hope the two would have serious discussions about Syria and other issues in St. Petersburg.

"President Obama hasn't been elected by the American people in order to be pleasant to Russia. And your humble servant hasn't been elected by the people of Russia to be pleasant to someone either," he said of their relationship.

"We work, we argue about some issues. We are human. Sometimes one of us gets vexed. But I would like to repeat once again that global mutual interests form a good basis for finding a joint solution to our problems," Putin said.

He also denied that Russia has anti-gay policies -- an issue that has the Edward Snowden affair, Russia's treatment of its opposition and the diminishing scope in Russia for civil society groups that receive funding from the West.

Putin said it was "ludicrous" that the government of President Bashar Assad -- a staunch ally of Russia -- would use chemical weapons at a time when it was holding sway against the rebels.

"From our viewpoint, it seems absolutely absurd that the armed forces, the regular armed forces, which are on the offensive today and in some areas have encircled the so-called rebels and are finishing them off, that in these conditions they would start using forbidden chemical weapons while realizing quite well that it could serve as a pretext for applying sanctions against them, including the use of force," he said.

The Obama administration says 1,429 people died in the Aug. 21 attack in a Damascus suburb. Casualty estimates by other groups are far lower, and Assad's government blames the episode on rebels trying to overthrow him. A U.N. inspection team is awaiting lab results on tissue and soil samples it collected while in Syria before completing a report.

"If there are data that the chemical weapons have been used, and used specifically by the regular army, this evidence should be submitted to the U.N. Security Council," added Putin, a former officer in the Soviet KGB. "And it ought to be convincing. It shouldn't be based on some rumors and information obtained by special services through some kind of eavesdropping, some conversations and things like that."

He noted that even in the U.S., "There are experts who believe that the evidence presented by the administration doesn't look convincing, and they don't exclude the possibility that the opposition conducted a premeditated provocative action trying to give their sponsors a pretext for military intervention."

He compared the evidence presented by Washington to false data used by the Bush administration about weapons of mass destruction to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"All these arguments turned out to be untenable, but they were used to launch a military action, which many in the U.S. called a mistake. Did we forget about that?" Putin said.

He said he "doesn't exclude" backing the use of force against Syria at the United Nations if there is objective evidence proving that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against its people. But he strongly warned Washington against launching military action without U.N. approval, saying it would represent an aggression.

Putin reinforced his demand that before taking action, Mr. Obama needed approval from the U.N. Security Council. Russia can veto resolutions in the council and has protected Syria from punitive actions there before.

Asked what kind of evidence on chemical weapons use would convince Russia, Putin said it "should be a deep and specific probe containing evidence that would be obvious and prove beyond doubt who did it and what means were used."

Putin said it was "too early" to talk about what Russia would do if the U.S. attacked Syria.

"We have our ideas about what we will do and how we will do it in case the situation develops toward the use of force or otherwise," he said. "We have our plans."

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Putin: Russia might let U.N. OK strike against Syria

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia "doesn't exclude" supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proven that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press and Russia's state Channel 1 television, Putin said Moscow has provided some components of the S-300 air defense missile system to Syria but has frozen further shipments. He suggested that Russia may sell the potent missile systems elsewhere if Western nations attack Syria without U.N. Security Council backing.

The interview Tuesday night at Putin's country residence outside the Russian capital was the only one he granted prior to the summit of G-20 nations in St. Petersburg, which opens Thursday.

The summit was supposed to concentrate on the global economy but now looks likely to be dominated by the international crisis over allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in the country's civil war.

Putin said he felt sorry that President Obama canceled a one-on-one meeting in Moscow that was supposed to have happened before the summit. But he expressed hope the two would have serious discussions about Syria and other issues in St. Petersburg.

"President Obama hasn't been elected by the American people in order to be pleasant to Russia. And your humble servant hasn't been elected by the people of Russia to be pleasant to someone either," he said of their relationship.

"We work, we argue about some issues. We are human. Sometimes one of us gets vexed. But I would like to repeat once again that global mutual interests form a good basis for finding a joint solution to our problems," Putin said.

He also denied that Russia has anti-gay policies -- an issue that has the Edward Snowden affair, Russia's treatment of its opposition and the diminishing scope in Russia for civil society groups that receive funding from the West.

Putin said it was "ludicrous" that the government of President Bashar Assad -- a staunch ally of Russia -- would use chemical weapons at a time when it was holding sway against the rebels.

"From our viewpoint, it seems absolutely absurd that the armed forces, the regular armed forces, which are on the offensive today and in some areas have encircled the so-called rebels and are finishing them off, that in these conditions they would start using forbidden chemical weapons while realizing quite well that it could serve as a pretext for applying sanctions against them, including the use of force," he said.

The Obama administration says 1,429 people died in the Aug. 21 attack in a Damascus suburb. Casualty estimates by other groups are far lower, and Assad's government blames the episode on rebels trying to overthrow him. A U.N. inspection team is awaiting lab results on tissue and soil samples it collected while in Syria before completing a report.

"If there are data that the chemical weapons have been used, and used specifically by the regular army, this evidence should be submitted to the U.N. Security Council," added Putin, a former officer in the Soviet KGB. "And it ought to be convincing. It shouldn't be based on some rumors and information obtained by special services through some kind of eavesdropping, some conversations and things like that."

He noted that even in the U.S., "There are experts who believe that the evidence presented by the administration doesn't look convincing, and they don't exclude the possibility that the opposition conducted a premeditated provocative action trying to give their sponsors a pretext for military intervention."

He compared the evidence presented by Washington to false data used by the Bush administration about weapons of mass destruction to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"All these arguments turned out to be untenable, but they were used to launch a military action, which many in the U.S. called a mistake. Did we forget about that?" Putin said.

He said he "doesn't exclude" backing the use of force against Syria at the United Nations if there is objective evidence proving that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against its people. But he strongly warned Washington against launching military action without U.N. approval, saying it would represent an aggression.

Putin reinforced his demand that before taking action, Mr. Obama needed approval from the U.N. Security Council. Russia can veto resolutions in the council and has protected Syria from punitive actions there before.

Asked what kind of evidence on chemical weapons use would convince Russia, Putin said it "should be a deep and specific probe containing evidence that would be obvious and prove beyond doubt who did it and what means were used."

Putin said it was "too early" to talk about what Russia would do if the U.S. attacked Syria.

"We have our ideas about what we will do and how we will do it in case the situation develops toward the use of force or otherwise," he said. "We have our plans."

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Video: 8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch 21:18 August 30, 2013

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touchSecretary of State John Kerry laid out the intelligence assessment that says the U.S. has "high confidence" the Syrian dictatorship attacked civilians with nerve gas; and, as part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman meets Jonathan Stoklosa, who has the power to lift your spirits -- and just about anything else.

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Obama's wait for Congress on Syria strike is historic twist

In his 24 years on Capitol Hill, Joe Lieberman "never saw anything like" President Obama's surprise announcement Saturday that he will seek congressional authorization for a limited strike in civil war-torn Syria, the former independent Connecticut senator said over the weekend on "Fox News Sunday."

"We had President Clinton acting in Bosnia and Kosovo without endorsement by Congress," Lieberman said. "In the 1991 Gulf War, President Bush 41 was massing troops, ultimately over a half a million Americans. There was a debate about whether he should come to Congress for authorization - he did; it was very close. Passed in the Senate by only 52 to 47. But nothing like this.

"...The administration says consistently that he doesn't have to come to Congress to take military action," he went on. "Secretary [of State John] Kerry on Friday in a brilliant, convincing, moving statement essentially indicts [Syrian President] Bashar al Assad as a mass murderer. And then the president says yesterday, let's wait. There is a mass murderer at loose. And right now, while we are waiting, he's dispersing his critical assets."

Mr. Obama's decision to take his case for direct involvement in Syria's two-year-old conflict to Congress marked an abrupt turnaround for the White House, which had appeared on the cusp of ordering U.S. forces to launch a missile attack against Syria, in light of evidence that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against his own people.

And irony notwithstanding - the president as well as his then-fellow senators, Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, all at one point opposed the Iraq War - it also stood out as being historically uncommon for a limited strike: Authorization requests are typically reserved for boots on the ground.

It's true that the president's move was an unlikely course of action, agreed Norm Ornstein, congressional scholar at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute. "If you look at past experiences involving military action," he said, "pretty much any time except the first Gulf War, presidents have generally gone ahead and just done it and then waited to see what the consequences were."

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Ornstein reasoned the president's possible rationale: "He probably thought, after two wars, that it makes sense to bring Congress in. He's always believed Congress plays a role in these types of decisions. It also gives Congress a buy-in -- cuts down on what will be an enormous amount of carping. Those who criticize him no matter what he does, it puts them on the line to make a decision in the face of very powerful evidence that Assad has engaged in unspeakably evil act."

Making the Sunday show rounds, lawmakers were torn about whether Congress would OK the president's resolution requesting authorization for military force.

When Mr. Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would mark a "red line" that Assad wouldn't be allowed to cross with impunity, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on "Face the Nation," "he didn't say, 'It's a red line - and by the way I'm going to have to seek the approval of Congress.' He said it was a red line, and that the United States of America would act. And that's a big difference, and that's one of the reasons why this is so problematic."

One of the loudest critics of the administration's handling of Syria, McCain said Mr. Obama should have taken action early on, and called Assad "euphoric" about the president's announcement Saturday. With "unprecedented leaking" about what ships and missiles the United States have positioned in the region, he argued, "a reversal at this point, I think, has serious consequences as far as the steadfastness and purpose of this administration."

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Can Obama strike Syria without Congress' consent?

President Obama has yet to say what course of action he'll take to respond to the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al Assad's regime in Syria, but his administration has previewed the justification it will use if Mr. Obama decides to take military action.

Mr. Obama on Wednesday said he has "no interest in any open-ended conflict in Syria." However, he added, "we do have to make sure that when countries break international norms on weapons like chemical weapons that could threaten us, that they are held accountable."

To launch an assault against the Assad regime that meets domestic legal standards, Mr. Obama's actions would have to pass constitutional muster and meet the statutory requirements set by the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

Before taking over the executive branch, Mr. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden strongly asserted that the president's ability to use military force is constrained by Congress. Yet since Mr. Obama took over the White House, the administration hasn't shied away from unilaterally deciding to take limited military action.

Mr. Obama's approach follows one that presidents have taken since the end of World War II, when administrations started exercising their war powers more independently. Some administrations have argued the War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court has never weighed in on the issue -- leaving the extent of the president's war powers an open question.

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"Part of the problem is these are legal issues, and legal issues are settled in court at the end of the day," James Lindsay, a senior vice president at the Council on Foreign Relations, told CBSNews.com. "And when courts choose not to adjudicate it, people are free to lay down their interpretation of the rules."

Predictably, when it comes to war powers, the president has the political advantage -- he is, after all the commander in chief. Congress, however, has the constitutional authority to declare war, so legislators do their best to keep the president's powers in check.

As a senator and presidential candidate in 2007, Mr. Obama said, "The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation. In instances of self-defense, the president would be within his constitutional authority to act before advising Congress or seeking its consent."

Biden, also a senator and presidential candidate in 2007, said he would move to impeach President Bush if he unilaterally attacked Iran because of its nuclear programs.

In 1998, Biden said on the Senate floor, "To be sure, the commander in chief ensures that the president has the sole power to direct U.S. military forces in combat. But that power - except in very few limited instances - derives totally from congressional authority."

Yet in 2011, the administration took military action in Libya without any congressional approval, prompting the Republican-led House of Representatives to vote to rebuke the president.

In its legal justification for action in Libya, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) argued that Congress' authority to declare "war" was limited by the definition of war. "This standard generally will be satisfied only by prolonged and substantial military engagements, typically involving exposure of U.S. military personnel to significant risk over a substantial period," the OLC wrote.

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Video: 8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch 21:18 August 30, 2013

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touchSecretary of State John Kerry laid out the intelligence assessment that says the U.S. has "high confidence" the Syrian dictatorship attacked civilians with nerve gas; and, as part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman meets Jonathan Stoklosa, who has the power to lift your spirits -- and just about anything else.

View the original article here

Video: 8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touch 21:18 August 30, 2013

8/30: Obama administration prepares nation for Syria strike; Meet a superhero with a soft touchSecretary of State John Kerry laid out the intelligence assessment that says the U.S. has "high confidence" the Syrian dictatorship attacked civilians with nerve gas; and, as part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman meets Jonathan Stoklosa, who has the power to lift your spirits -- and just about anything else.

View the original article here

Video: Obama: "I have not made a decision" on Syria military strike

Obama: "I have not made a decision" on Syria military strike 5:14 August 28, 2013

Obama: "I have not made a decision" on Syria military strikePresident Obama has not yet decided on U.S. action in Syria, where he says his administration has "concluded" President Bashar al Assad used chemical weapons in an attack against civilians last week near Damascus, he said in an interview with "PBS NewsHour."

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Video: Warships in holding pattern as diplomacy of Syria strike grows complicated

Civil rights icons remember the March on Washington 3:14 August 28, 2013

Civil rights icons remember the March on WashingtonMarian Wright-Edelman, Andrew Young and Julian Bond were all a part of the March on Washington half a century ago. Scott Pelley speaks with them about that day, and what is left to be done.

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Video: 08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter

08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter 21:19 August 26, 2013

08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty CarterSecretary of State John Kerry said Monday that President Obama "believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapons against the world's most vulnerable people; and, President Obama awarded U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter the Medal of Honor for his heroics in one of the most intense battles of the Afghanistan War

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Video: 08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter

08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter 21:19 August 26, 2013

08/26: Kerry leaves little doubt U.S. will strike Syria; Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Ty CarterSecretary of State John Kerry said Monday that President Obama "believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapons against the world's most vulnerable people; and, President Obama awarded U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter the Medal of Honor for his heroics in one of the most intense battles of the Afghanistan War

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Video: 8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigns

8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigns 21:23 August 23, 2013

8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resignsAs the death toll rises in Syria, the Pentagon makes preparations for action; Then, San Diego's Mayor Bob Filner, embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal, has resigned; Also, Steve Hartman meets a traffic cop with a record number of complaints - zero.

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