President Biden originally ordered two air strikes in Syria last week, but canceled one after knowing just 30 minutes before the bombs started that a woman and children were nearby, according to a report.
The 46th commander-in-chief, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, ordered the Pentagon to dismantle the second of two targets after an adviser urgently alerted him to the presence of a woman and children in the area.
Sought to comment by The Post, National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a lengthy statement that the government was reviewing, under orders from the president, “existing authorizations and delegations from the presidential authority regarding these matters”, without addressing the specific story.
The news of the second strike was not known before the Journal report.
On February 26, the United States destroyed a facility in Syria allegedly used by an Iranian allied militia group, which marked Biden’s first known use of military force in his presidency. The move came as a shock to Congress, with a large number of bipartisan members publicly regretting the fact that they had not received any advance notice.
Biden said the aim of the attack was to prevent a Shi’ite militia group from attacking American troops inside Iraq.
“I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect the citizens of the United States both at home and abroad and in promoting the national security of the United States and foreign policy interests, in accordance with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign affairs. of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive, ”he wrote in his letter to Congress reporting on the strike.
In response to military action, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) Reintroduced his resolution on powers of war, which was passed at the last Congress, but was vetoed by President Donald Trump.
The resolution restricts the commander-in-chief’s ability to declare war or take military action without Congressional approval.