Former President George W. Bush said that President Obama has a “tough choice” to make when it comes to whether to launch a military strike against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who the administration has concluded used chemical weapons against citizens.
Mr. Bush, a Republican, said that if Mr. Obama, a Democrat, decides to use the military he will have the “greatest military ever backing him up” and said that during his two terms in office “I was not a fan of Mr. Assad.
“He’s an ally of Iran and he’s made mischief,” Mr. Bush said on Fox and Friends. “The president is going to have to make a tough decision.”
Mr. Obama’s push to build an international coalition in support of military strikes against the Assad regime hit a major snag on Thursday when the British House of Commons voted down Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan for British involvement in a potential US-led strike.
The vote was heavily influence by lingering concerns from the Iraq War, which was waged after the Bush administration made the false allegations that Iraq President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
The Telegraph newspaper says that 179 British troops died in the Iraq war, which also led to the capture and death of Mr. Hussein.
SEE ALSO: Obama may go solo with Syria strike; U.S., British lawmakers voice opposition
More than 4,400 American troops died in the Iraq war.
Mr. Obama voted against the Iraq war as a Senator and touted the vote on his way to winning The White House in 2008.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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