Crisis in Syria: Can U.S. Intervention Solve Anything?

Only a few weeks ago, President Obama seemed set on intervening militarily in Syria. He asked Congress for a vote authorizing the use of force, despite polls showing Americans were overwhelmingly against intervention in Syria. He then made his case in a primetime address. That, too, fell flat. Luckily for Obama, something strange happened leading up to the speech: diplomacy. Assad agreed to give up his chemical weapons. But will this U.S.-Russia accord work? How long before the calls for the United States to “do something” begin again? And did the president respect Congress’s war powers? Cato scholar Christopher Preble has followed developments closely since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011. He’ll provide a much needed update on the situation and take your questions.