Mattis denies report he wanted Congress to approve Syria strike

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A New York Times report that US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had unsuccessfully urged President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval ahead of last week's airstrikes in Syria has been shot down by Mattis.

"I have no idea where that story came from," Mattis told reporters as he greeted Qatar's defense minister, Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, at the Pentagon. "I found nothing in it that I could recall from my own last week's activities."

Citing anonymous military and administration officials, the Times said Mattis had recommended Trump get approval from lawmakers before launching Friday's cruise missile barrage against three targets the Pentagon said were tied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons program.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey fires a Tomahawk land attack missile, April 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

Chemical weapons inspectors are waiting to go into Douma, near Damascus, to probe allegations of a chemical gas attack on April 7 that prompted last week's US-led response.

Mattis said the country has previously used delays after such an attack to "try to clean up the evidence before the investigation team gets in. So it's unfortunate they were delayed."

A Pentagon official told AFP that there was no debate at the White House and that "everyone" agreed Trump had the authority needed to launch the strikes.

Later Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders denied the Times story and said Trump "appropriately ordered the strikes under his constitutional authorities."

In the days since the US-led strikes, which also saw British and French jets launch missiles, debate in Washington has continued about whether Trump has the legal authority to conduct strikes against the Syrian regime.‍

Source(s): AFP