Obama delays a vote on Syria intervention to pursue diplomatic solution
In a live televised address to the nation on Tuesday the US President Barack Obama said he had requested that Congress postpone a vote on military intervention in Syria in order to explore a diplomatic initiative put forward by Russia.
Speaking from the White House's East Room, Obama said Russia's plan to seize and neutralize Syria's chemical weapons had produced some "encouraging signs." Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem accepted Russia's plan on Tuesday and agreed to sign up to a UN treaty banning chemical arms.
He therefore he vowed to stay in personal contact with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in order to push forward with the initiative. US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile, would meet his Russian counterpart for talks in Geneva on Thursday.
Obama made clear, however, it was "too early to tell" if Russia's proposal would prove successful.
"Any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments, but this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force, particularly because Russia is one of Assad's strongest allies," Obama said.
He noted that US cruise missile destroyers would remain stationed in the eastern Mediterranean, ready to administer a punitive strike if necessary.
http://www.dw.de/obama-delays-a-vote-on-syria-intervention-to-pursue-diplomatic-solution/a-17081603
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