Pictured: Aleppo, Syria; courtesy AP Photo/Narciso Contreras

CARRBORO – Led by Mayor Mark Chilton, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen approved a letter to Congress taking a stance against U.S. military action in Syria.

Chilton explained that the letter will be directed to North Carolina’s federal elected officials, including Congressman David Price (D-NC 4th District), as well as President Barack Obama.

Price said over the weekend that a “targeted, limited response” was merited, but he was not advocating entering into a war. Senator Kay Hagan said that the U.S. should find ways to prevent “atrocities” from happening again without putting Americans into ground combat.

“Different people on the Board have perhaps slightly different views on the situation in Syria and how to respond, but I think all of us are feeling that missile strikes or bombings would definitely be premature and not a good way to respond to this situation,” Chilton said.

The motion was proposed by Alderman Sammy Slade at Tuesday’s board meeting. Similar resolutions have been made by the Board of Alderman before, including a letter petitioning the U.S. entry into the Iraq War and another calling for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

On Saturday, about a dozen protesters gathered at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, calling for the U.S. to avoid military action against Syria.

A Senate panel voted Wednesday to give Obama the authority to use military force against Syria in response to apparent use of chemical weapons. The full Senate is expected to vote on the measure next week.

The resolution would permit Obama to order a limited, 90 day maximum military mission against Syria, prohibiting the use of American troops on the ground for combat operations.

Related Stories
‹
What To Know About Sudden Rebel Gains in Syria’s 13-Year War and Why It Matters
Written by ELLEN KNICKMEYER WASHINGTON (AP) — The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive that captured Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient hub of Middle East culture and commerce. The push is the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled […]
President Obama To Announce Innovation Institute At NCSU Wed
President Barack Obama will announce a new manufacturing innovation institute and address the economy in front of students and others at N.C.State’s Reynolds Coliseum Wednesday afternoon.
NC Democrats - Following a Lead and Finding a Leader
How are the North Carolina Democratic Party and the National Republican Party alike? That is easy. Both lost elections this fall and do not know what to do about it. It is particularly humiliating for North Carolina Democrats. They have to face a legislature totally dominated by Republicans, who have gerrymandered so effectively that it […]
US Envoy Doubles Down on Support for Syria’s Government and Criticizes Israel’s Intervention
A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for Syria’s new government, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with it to unite the country still reeling from years of civil war and wracked by new sectarian violence.
Israel’s Borders Have Shifted Throughout Its History. Action in Syria May Reshape Them Again
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, entered Syrian territory Tuesday and said Israeli troops would remain in the area indefinitely, blurring the border with its northern neighbor.
Who Was in Ousted Syrian President Assad’s Inner Circle and Where Are They Now?
After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away.
Global Reaction to Assad’s Sudden Ouster From Syria Ranges From Jubilation to Alarm
Across the Middle East and beyond, the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government at the hands of jihadi militants set off waves of jubilation, trepidation and alarm.
What to Know About the Two Waves of Deadly Explosions That Hit Lebanon and Syria
Written by WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, MICHAEL BIESECKER, SARAH EL DEEB and SARAH PARVINI Just one day after pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded, more electronic devices detonated in Lebanon Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks that targeted an extraordinary number of people. Both attacks, which are widely believed to be […]
A Year After Syria’s Deadly Earthquake, Orphaned Children Adjust to the Loss Bit by Bit
Some 542 children were found “unaccompanied and separated” after the earthquake throughout Syria in 2023, says UNICEF.
Iran Threatens To Respond to Any US Strikes as Biden Weighs How To React to a Base Attack in Jordan
Written by JON GAMBRELL Iran threatened Wednesday to “decisively respond” to any U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic following President Joe Biden’s linking of Tehran to the killing of three U.S. soldiers at a military base in Jordan. The U.S. has signaled it is preparing for retaliatory strikes in the Mideast in the wake of the Sunday […]
›