On April 7, 2017, the United States fired tomahawk cruise missiles into the borders of Syria, destroying an air base which was believed to be the epicenter of a chemical weapon attack on the Syrian people - by the government of Syria. The forty-fifth president of the United States cites this breach of international law as a vital national security concern. During the emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, the Russian Federation (a permanent member to the Security Council) - as well as Syria, Sweden, & Bolivia - strongly condemned violation of international law and/or act of aggression towards Syria. This strength of force has been viewed to some both in Syria and Russia as an act of war. While Iran does not sit on the UN Security Council, it did publicly state it's strong opposition to the use of force and violation of international law by the United States.
While there is standing precedent for a president to act unilaterally without congressional approval (such law was passed back in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and used to go into Afghanistan and eventually Iraq), it is a long standing tradition for the president to seek congressional approval before any military actions are to take place. Not to mention, a president has always sought Congress' approval for a declaration of war.
The President of the United States is sending a dangerous message to the rest of the world by launching missiles into Syria. The message is simple: Abide by the demands of the United States or suffer the military wrath of the United States. This is not the first time this president has disrespected another country or foreign leader. The president would not shake German Chancellor Angela Merkel's hand during a photo-op/press conference, he has had tense words with the Prime Minister of Australia regarding refugees coming to the United States set up under the Obama administration, and his continued feud with Mexico over building a wall along the southern border of the United States are just a few examples of his blatant disrespect of international norms and procedures of international laws and geopolitical etiquette. These acts might seem minor to many, but they could have a direct - and potentially long-standing - consequences for the United States on an international level. Some of the repercussions have already started with the European Union rejecting visa-free travel for all Americans.
The President is trying to "restart" foreign policy that has been in place since the forming of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations. What he should be doing is looking to history and recognize that a unilateral intervention has never been in the best interest of the United States - especially in the Middle East. In the vital interest of National Security, it would be prudent to not unilaterally engage in situations that have proper protocols and procedures to handle international violations of human rights and to international law. There are multiple cases such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Vietnam, and even in Libya that show where unilateral efforts by the United States has proven to backfire - either by public/international lack of support or by an increase of recruitment among terrorist organizations which result in a rise in frequent terror attacks around the world (the most recent cases include the attack on Parliament in London and a truck attack in Sweden).
The overall questions we need to keep asking are: why now and what is the end game? Is it a war with Russia, which would be utilized as a 2020 campaign ploy; or, are both countries creating a distraction because both parties understand that they are guilty of obstructing the democratic process of the 2016 election and worked in coordination and are trying to cover their tracks? Regardless, I foresee a new war that will be reminiscent of the Afghanistan/Iraq timeline where the United States will engage in Syria first, and then turn its attention to Russia and that will escalate into a global war as two superpowers who hold power places within the United Nations Security Council will force the world to take a side...and due to the mishandling of words by the current President of the United States will force China to side with Russia. Only time will tell.
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