After it was revealed that Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons in his country’s civil war in 2013 and after Mr. Obama’s promise of a U.S. military retaliation, the Pentagon made plans to launch a full-scale attack on the capital city with Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from naval destroyers in the Mediterranean. But when U.S. Navy commanders were ready with their fingers on “fire” buttons, Mr. Obama told them to stand down, Mr. Hagel told Foreign Policy magazine.
“Whether it was the right decision or not, history will determine that,” Mr. Hagel said.
“There’s no question in my mind that it hurt the credibility of the president’s word when this occurred,” he added.
Mr. Hagel’s counterparts around the world reportedly told him Mr. Obama’s sudden about-face had shaken their confidence in Washington. He said he still hears complaints from foreign leaders to this day. The White House declined to comment for the Foreign Policy magazine story, but a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president was not ready to go forward with the military operation in 2013 without consulting Congress first and gaining their endorsement. In the interview, Mr. Hagel said the White House tried to “destroy” his reputation as he was preparing to leave office in 2014.
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