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Air Date: September 04, 2013
Host: Vic Eliason
Guest: Terence Jeffrey
Terence Jeffrey is editor in chief of CNSNews.com and has held that position since 2007. Prior to that he served for more than a decade as editor of Human Events.
Should the U.S. take military action against Syria for the gas attack that has been reported by Western media outlets?
According to Terence, prudence is looking at a range of possible actions and deciding on the one that through due diligence will give you the optimum outcome. He believes that President Obama’s ‘red line’ remark regarding Syria wasn’t prudent at all because he doesn’t have the power to follow through on such rhetoric without congressional authorization. Because of this attitude, Terence feels we are reaping the fruits of a leader who is now moving forward with an imprudent policy rather than using moral means to advance the liberty, security and prosperity of the American people.
Terence brings in the thoughts of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington to help listeners understand how the idea of ‘war powers’ is to be understood from the perspective of our Constitution. He noted that Congress has the power to control the armed forces. The President has the power of Commander in Chief. This means that after Congress places the armed forces into battle, the president becomes the leading commander. So unless there’s the need to repel a sudden attack, the president doesn’t have the power to initiate the use of military force.
He also explained the historic significance between the centuries-old taking of Cairo and Damascus and what’s happening in those areas today. Muslim activities led them to eventually re-take Jerusalem during the Crusades and today one prominent Islamic voice seems to want to duplicate that process. When you look at what’s been happening in recent times to secular government and military forces in Egypt and Syria, forces that have been at least tolerant of Christians, it appears that current U.S. policies regarding the Middle East are only encouraging Islamic forces as they keep their eye on Jerusalem.
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