Obama aides push back against criticism of inaction on Syria

Former Obama administration officials are defending their administration on Syria, saying they proposed similar airstrikes to the ones President Donald Trump ordered this week, but were stymied by a Republican-controlled Congress reluctant to go along with the Democratic president’s plan.

This comes after Trump ordered the missile strikes against Syria without getting congressional approval, determined to punish the Syrian government for the use of chemical weapons against civilians.

Trump laid part of the blame for the chemical attack on former President Barack Obama, saying the deaths were a “consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution.”

Republicans, however, who controlled Congress then as they do now, were adamant that Obama should not act without their approval, Obama aides said. Trump also had called for Obama to get congressional approval.