Watchdog steps up demand for legal basis of Trump Syria strikes
Source: Politico
By JOSH GERSTEIN 05/23/2017 07:56 AM EDT
A liberal watchdog group is demanding quick answers on what legal rationale supported President Donald Trump's military strikes against Syria last month.
The Protect Democracy Project — an organization founded by former Obama administration lawyers — is asking a federal judge for an injunction ordering expedited responses to Freedom of Information Act requests the group filed last month asking the Pentagon, the State Department and the Justice Department to turn over all legal opinions justifying the April 6 strikes.
Trump ordered that wave of 59 Tomahawk missile launches in response to fresh reports that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against civilians, including women and children.
In a motion filed Monday night with U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, Protect Democracy's lawyers cited reports that the U.S. military carried out strikes against Syrian regime vehicles last week near the city of al-Tanf. The group said this was an indication that Trump might be escalating U.S. involvement in Syria without requesting new authorization from Congress or explaining why that was not necessary. "Relief is necessary to avoid the irreparable harm that would occur if the military conflict escalates further while, at the same time, the American people and their elected representatives are denied the information they need to participate in democratic debate," lawyers Allison Murphy and Ben Berwick said in the preliminary injunction motion.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/05/23/trump-syria-missile-strike-legal-justification-238713
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