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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUS, UK back down from immediate Syria strike, President Assad vows 'victory'
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-UK-back-down-from-immediate-Syria-strike-President-Assad-vows-victory/articleshow/22141514.cmsCAIRO: The US and UK on Thursday appeared to have backed down from an immediate punitive military strike against Syria, even as embattled President Bashar al-Assad vowed that his country would emerge "victorious" in any confrontation with America and its allies.
A strike by western forces had appeared imminent but US allies were increasingly reluctant to act before hearing the results of a UN probe into the alleged poisonous gas attacks in the war-torn country on August 21.
President Barack Obama has said he had not yet decided whether to attack Syria in response to alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, but a strike still appeared likely as the US stopped seeking a UN mandate.
"We have not yet made a decision, but the international norm against the use of chemical weapons needs to be kept in place. Hardly anybody disputes that chemical weapons were used on a large scale in Syria against civilian populations," Obama told the PBS News Hour in an interview.
British Prime Minister David Cameron backed down and agreed to delay a military attack on Syria following a growing revolt over the UK's rushed response to the crisis.
The prime minister has now said he will wait for a report by UN weapons inspectors before seeking the approval of MPs for "direct British involvement" in the Syrian intervention.
Downing Street said the decision to wait for the UN was based on the "deep concerns" the country still harbours over the Iraq war.
A strike by western forces had appeared imminent but US allies were increasingly reluctant to act before hearing the results of a UN probe into the alleged poisonous gas attacks in the war-torn country on August 21.
President Barack Obama has said he had not yet decided whether to attack Syria in response to alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, but a strike still appeared likely as the US stopped seeking a UN mandate.
"We have not yet made a decision, but the international norm against the use of chemical weapons needs to be kept in place. Hardly anybody disputes that chemical weapons were used on a large scale in Syria against civilian populations," Obama told the PBS News Hour in an interview.
British Prime Minister David Cameron backed down and agreed to delay a military attack on Syria following a growing revolt over the UK's rushed response to the crisis.
The prime minister has now said he will wait for a report by UN weapons inspectors before seeking the approval of MPs for "direct British involvement" in the Syrian intervention.
Downing Street said the decision to wait for the UN was based on the "deep concerns" the country still harbours over the Iraq war.
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US, UK back down from immediate Syria strike, President Assad vows 'victory' (Original Post)
RKP5637
Aug 2013
OP
malaise
(267,842 posts)1. Who will punish Britain and the US for their crimes against
the people of Iraq?
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)2. Excellent question! n/t
pampango
(24,692 posts)3. Good. I expect Obama to continue to show the restraint he has for 2 1/2 years over Syria.
Bush/Cheney/McCain would have attacked long ago for far less reason. We should no only wait for the report of the UN inspectors but, if it implicates the regime, we should wait for the Security Council to discuss and vote on it.
If the report implicates neither or only the other side, then obviously any attack on Assad's military infrastructure should be called off. If it does implicate Assad, Obama will have been wise to wait for it.
That should not take long. In the meantime Assad's military is already being impacted by having to move headquarters and vulnerable weapons to new locations.