David Petraeus Sends Mixed Messages on War Powers
The retired general urges Congress to step up and address where the U.S. military should be waging war, even as he praises an extra-constitutional strike on Syria.
by Conor Friedersdorf
Jun 30, 2017
3 minutes
Early in an appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday, David Petraeus, the retired general and former CIA director, praised President Trump for a missile strike.
“He has shown a willingness to make decisions. Bashar Assad used chemical weapons. Within 36 hours, 50 cruise missiles hit the airfields from which those were launched. And I thought that was pretty impressive,” Petraeus said. “It was measured. It was proportionate. It was decisive. There was no agonizing. He didn’t
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