President Obama addressed the nation on Tuesday night, Sept. 10, to again make his case for targeted military action in response to last month's deadly chemical attack in Syria, which killed more than a thousand people, including hundreds of children. The President described how, without a response, the Assad government, and other tyrants will commit future chemical attacks, and – alluding to World War I, he noted how "Our troops would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield."
Beyond the practical implications, President Obama concluded his address by noting a moral imperative for action. On Monday night, anti-war protesters held a candlelight vigil here in Houston, in opposition to any military response. Craig Cohen was joined by Edward Djerejian, former Ambassador to both Syria and the state of Israel, and founding director of the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.