Obama Surprises Aides With Bid for Congressional Approval

After a week of planning for a strike against Syria with his political, diplomatic and military aides, U.S. President Barack Obama surprised even his closest advisers with a last-minute change-of-heart.

The decision to seek authorization from Congress was the president’s alone, a step none of the four top congressional leaders had sought and none of his national security advisers had recommended, according to two administration officials familiar with the discussions. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe how the president reached the decision.