The U.S. Constitution rightly makes the president the commander-in-chief of the military (Article One, Section 2), but in order that he properly and effectively deploy the military it also requires him first to persuade Congress to vote upon and declare war (Article Two, Section 8), which means the President must cite the provocation, name the enemy, and project a plausible path to victory.

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Regarding the chain of command, the French intelligence assessment said the section of the Syrian military responsible for filling munitions with chemical agents and for security at storage sites - "Branch 450" of the CERS - was staffed only by members of the president's minority Alawite sect and was "distinguished by a high level of loyalty to the regime".

BBC: Syria's chemical weapons stockpile

Noticeably, Congress excluded the minister and military housing allowances from the new, restricted Section 119.

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