Obama Told Israel Attack on Syria Was Imminent on August 31

Underscoring President Obama’s dramatic overestimation of his administration’s ability to sell a war against Syria to the American public, Israeli officials have revealed that they were contacted by the US on August 31 and told an attack was imminent, and would begin in the next “24-48 hours.” 

In the face of massive popular opposition and growing demands from Congress to be consulted on the war, Secretary of State John Kerry delivered an afternoon speech on Friday, August 31 insisting the war was “necessary.”

The administration apparently figured it was a slam dunk, and told Israel immediately after the speech that the war was coming that weekend, something that media outlets were also reporting.

On September 1, President Obama changed his tune, and insisted that the war would happen after a Congressional authorization, which at the time was expected to come in short order. The administration also played a planned speech that would make Americans “want” to attack Syria.

Every speech that was supposed to finally convince everyone of the war came and went, and opposition grew. Congress never even bothered to vote, because it was clear the vote would be lost by the hawkish leadership.

http://news.antiwar.com/2013/10/04/obama-told-israel-attack-on-syria-was-imminent-on-august-31/

US was so sure it was striking Syria it made ‘warning calls’ to Israel’s leaders

The Obama administration was so certain that its forces were about to attack Syria in the chemical weapons crisis at the end of August, that US officials telephoned Israel’s prime minister and defense minister to give them “advance warning” the attack was about to take place. 

The phone calls, Israel’s Channel 2 news revealed Friday, were made shortly after Secretary of State John Kerry on August 31 had accused Bashar Assad’s regime of an August 21 chemical 

weapons attack that killed 1,429 Syrians. Israel’s leaders were told explicitly that the US would be taking punitive military action against the Assad regime within 24-48 hours.

The calls were made in accordance with the US promise to give Israel a warning ahead of such an attack, so that it could take steps to defend itself against any potential Syrian retaliation that might target the Jewish state.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon were personally telephoned, the TV report said, without revealing who made the calls.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-was-so-sure-it-was-striking-syria-it-made-warning-calls-to-israels-leaders/