The perpetually surprised Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that if President Obama decides to conduct air strikes in Syria, he would not do so alone.
Host of ABC's This Week, George Stephanopoulos asked if the United States needed U.N. Security Council authorization before launching an attack against ISIS in Syria. Power assured the former Clinton spokesman that the "broader international community" is united in support of the "anti-ISIL effort" and depending on the "facts and circumstances," the U.S. will have "the legal basis" to carry out strikes in Syria, with full U.N. approval.
However, Power said that each country will have to choose whether to become involved in these new air strikes. And for that, Obama is convening a head of state summit to garner actual support from the countries who are said to be behind this "anti-ISISL effort."
"We might have to do the air strikes alone," Stephanopoulos said. "Not even Great Britain has said they'll join the air strikes." Power responded:
I will make you a prediction, George -- which is, that we will not do the air strikes alone if the president decides to do the air strikes.
Iran's role in the conflict was brought up. Power said that the U.S. is not coordinating with Iran or sharing intelligence, but believes, along with Secretary of State John Kerry, that they have a role to play.
Iran has said that ISIL is its enemy, but by the same token, Iran has supported Hezbollah and the Assad regime. An Assad regime that has not targeted ISIL with any sincerity or intensity over the years and, indeed, has been complicit receiving oil revenue from ISIL, or buying oil from ISIL when they take over the fields. So Assad is not a reliable partner in the fight against ISIL for us, and we would urge Iran, actually, to use its leverage over that regime, in order to change its tactics and bring about the political solution we need to really get at one of the root causes of this crisis.
A clip was played of former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates saying this conflict cannot be resolved without deploying American ground troops and charging that the president is "trapping himself" by continually saying he will not do so.
Power defended the president, saying he is "relying on military advice from Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin] Dempsey and from Secretary [of Defense Chuck] Hagel." She assures that they believe the current strategy to be "successful in degrading and destroying ISIL." Power further said there are, in fact, already boots on the ground:
There are Iraqi troops, there are Kurdish troops, there are Syrian troops who have been fighting ISIL at great expense and great sacrifice fighting on two fronts: fighting ISIL on the one hand and the regime on the other. So, we think, again, the strategy can succeed, and most importantly, we have the greatest military in the world. They believe that.
The final question from Stephanopoulos was about the time frame in destroying ISIS. Power said, "I think the president has said it will be over several years."
