Nearly 80 percent of Americans believe President Barack Obama should receive congressional approval before using force in Syria, but the nation is divided over the scope of any potential strike, a new NBC News poll shows.
Fifty percent of Americans believe the United States should not intervene in the wake of suspected chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to the poll. But the public is more supportive of military action when it's limited to launching cruise missiles from U.S. naval ships - 50 percent favor that kind of intervention, while 44 percent oppose it.
In order to make good on his "red-line" promise, President Obama has deployed a fifth warship in the east Mediterranean. Last night, the Brits voted against a military strike on Syria, leaving the United States solo should Obama decide to do something. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said earlier this week the United States wouldn't go in alone, but that might change given the current circumstances and consequences for empty threats.
“We continue to consult with our allies,” Hagel said at a news conference in Brunei after a meeting of regional defense chiefs in Indonesia. “And as I think has been made very clear by President Obama -- and I have said it on a number of occasions -- if any action would be taken against Syria, it would be an international collaboration.”