A new book claims that in August 2013, when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reportedly released sarin gas near Damascus, killing more than 1,000 adults and children, British Prime Minister David Cameron, on holiday in Cornwall, called former President Barack Obama to initiate an immediate response to the attack.
It allegedly took three days to get an answer.
Matters got worse from there, the book reports.
The series of events started with the sarin attack, which occurred on August 21. But it wasn’t until August 24 that contact was made, according to the new book “Ten Days in August,” authored by Anthony Seldon. Seldon posits that although Obama had already declared a “red line” for the U.S. would be crossed if Assad used chemical weapons, Obama proposed to Cameron a cruise missile attack, said it would have to be executed by August 26, but would not commit to such an action yet.
The next day, August 25, Cameron left Cornwall and gathered his advisors in Chequers. On August 26, Cameron called Russian President Vladimir Putin for support. Still no answer from Obama.
August 27: Cameron, in London, tried to obtain support from Parliament for an attack. He spoke to Obama. Still no decision.
By August 29: Cameron’s call for an attack against Assad was rejected by Parliament.
Finally, August 30: Obama called Cameron to offer support, but the next day, Obama agreed the U.S. should authorize a strike but he would have to ask Congress because the British Parliament had defied Cameron. He said the United States “should take action against Syrian regime targets” but because America’s “closest ally” had nixed the idea, he would have to consult Congress on the matter.
One problem: Congress was now out of session.