Dozens of U.S. diplomats advocate for strikes against Syrian government

More than 50 U.S. diplomats have signed an internal memo urging the Obama administration to approve military airstrikes against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A State Department official sent The New York Times a draft of the memo, which argues that while military action would have risks, it would stop Assad's violations of cease-fires. "The moral rationale for taking steps to end the deaths and suffering in Syria, after five years of brutal war, is evident and unquestionable," the memo states. "The status quo in Syria will continue to present increasingly dire, if not disastrous, humanitarian, diplomatic, and terrorism-related challenges."

If Obama does heed the advice, it would be a major shift in the administration's approach to Syria, which has been focusing on fighting the Islamic State. The memo was signed by 51 people, mostly midlevel officers, who have been involved in Syria policy over the last five years. It was filed in the dissent channel, set up in the State Department during the Vietnam War as a way for employees who disagreed with policies to make it known without fear of reprisal.

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