5 big questions about Congress' Syria vote

President Obama is gambling that Congress will approve limited strikes against Syria's Bashar al-Assad. It's a bet Obama may well lose.

Rand Paul.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Obama said over the weekend that he has decided the U.S. should launch a limited strike on Syria for using large amounts of chemical weapons on its civilians on Aug. 21 — a claim both the U.S. and France are making while the United Nations conducts its own investigation. In a surprise move, however, Obama also said he will ask Congress to authorize the use of military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. (Watch Obama argue his case above)

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.