Whether a Military Strike is War

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Syria crisis Tuesday,at which a number of miltary issues were hashed out.Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke about the Russian proposal that Syria surrender its chemical weapons to international control,saying that the proposal has to come rapidly.I would assume this is on a very fast track.*
A concern about the aftermath of military action was raised.There is always unpredictability anytime when a strike option is taken,Mr.Hagel said.There are a significant number of responsible individuals in the Syrian opposition.We have been vetting them through our partners that are in the opposition.The strikes and the options we have given the president have all factored in the uncertainty.
If we do nothing,Assad will continue to do what he's doing and worse.We have exhausted almost every diplomatic option in this effort.We believe,based on our intelligence and our partners in the area,if we carry forward,this will specifically deter and degrade.If Assad should accelerate and use chemical weapons again,my guess would be the president would come back to the Congress and ask for further authorization.*
General Martin Dempsey,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,said it's challenging to vet the rebels,but we have a methodology.*
A discussion arose as to whether even a limited strike amounts to war.In an article,General Dempsey wrote that "the use of force is no less than an act of war."To a soldier,when you put them in a conflict,it tends to be a war,he told the House Armed Services Committee.Secretary Hagel,a Vietnam veteran,agreed that's how it is.
Our ability to over-match regime forces and our forward presence leads us to believe we can handle retaliation,General Dempsey continued.*
Turkey,Saudi Arabia,Qatar and France would participate in military action in some way.President Obama's first priority has been and is diplomacy-all to date to no avail,Secretary of State John Kerry told the committee.Russia and China have vetoed all UN resolutions,and even press releases condemning the generic use of chemical weapons.General statements have been blocked.We're waiting for that Russian proposal,but we're not waiting for long.It cannot be simply a debating society in the UN.*
Mr.Kerry will meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva,Switzerland on Thursday to discuss the Russian proposal.Meanwhile,the president has ordered US forces in the region to remain on standby while the diplomatic process runs its course,ready to strike should it ultimately fail.