Most of the discussions I’ve seen about whether or not to strike Syria have focused on the lack of any national security interest to the United States, the fact that we would be helping Al-Qaeda, potentially further destabilizing the region and that Obama has not received authorization from Congress as he is Constitutionally obligated to do. But there is another facet to the issue that hasn’t received enough attention and that is the state of our military. Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe has posted a statement to his Facebook page in which he very succinctly outlines why we cannot afford for our military to become involved with Syria.“Last night the Administration informed us that they have a ‘broad range of options’ for Syria but failed to lay out a single option. They also did not provide a timeline, a strategy for Syria and the Middle East, or a plan for the funds to execute such an option. Several members agreed with me that whatever is decided upon, it’s going to take military resources that are at decreased readiness levels due to a lack of funding. As Sec. Hagel, Adm. Winnefeld, and I have discussed before, we have a financial crisis in our military. We have a starving military. Even Gen. Dempsey has said we are putting our military on a path where the ‘force is so degraded and so unready’ that it would be ‘immoral to use the force.’ The Administration owes it to Congress and to the American people to lay out how they will fund their military action. Is it going to be more furloughs? We have already had 14,000 furloughed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma alone. As I have said before, no red line should have even been drawn without first preparing a strategic plan and assessing our resources.”
With no stated options, no timeline, no strategy, no funding plan, no national security interest, no ally needing support and a military already suffering a financial crisis, could there be any legitimate reason for the United States to fire so much as a single bullet into Syria? No.
I haven’t heard a lot about this aspect of the possibility we may attack Syria, but it is a good point. We really can not afford to spend the money, especially with no kind of real strategy, other than to slap Assad on the wrist.
We can’t afford it but since when has that stopped Obama and company from spending like there’s no tomorrow.