Obama to make statement on Syria at 1:15 p.m. EDT.

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

BREAKING: Obama to make statement on Syria at 1:15 p.m. EDT.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/373841891252789248

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-make-statement-syria-115-pm-edt-saturday

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Currently after sunset in Damascus:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=487

[TBF]

1. I think I've seen this movie before :( nt

[Harmony Blue]

2. Again?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. I refuse to be a hypocrite

If the statement is "We're going IN," it won't matter to me if the statement's read by Barack Obama or George W. Bush.

[itsrobert]

4. More likely, the attack has already started

n/t

[Posteritatis]

7. It'd make the news about twelve seconds after it began

The US isn't the only country with their media over there right now.

[Ghost Dog]

19. Eg. Here:

Lebanon Daily Star.

[truth2power]

5. Courageous, you are! Thank you. eom

[iamthebandfanman]

10. So you were against our actions in bosnia as well?

watching innocent women getting sniped in the head or raped when they dared to walk outside their door ?
Or how about Kosovo where we watched when lining up 50-100 people and shooting them in front of the mass grave they were about to throw them in ?

its easy to be against helping people when you aren't there to witness it first hand I guess eh ?

[L0oniX]

12. Sorry ...was busy watching women in Sudan getting raped and killed. n/t

[iamthebandfanman]

13. Well that justifies

everything doesn't it ?

I agree, we should have been helping other places...
but as everyone is pointing out now because of Syria .. we cant do everything ! right? *eye roll*

so where do you stand.. you either think intervention is okay to help folks or you don't?

by stating sudan, where I agree with you , you seem to be suggesting you think its okay to help ?

[L0oniX]

14. Make a list ...then you decide where it hurts more. n/t

[A Little Weird]

17. Here's a map someone put up showing conflicts around the world

http://www.warsintheworld.com/?page=static1329446051

Who made us the arbiter of world conflicts? And why is it that we only seem to care about civil wars when they happen in Europe or the Middle East? Many of these other conflicts have seen more people killed/raped/maimed. I haven't heard a peep from the media or the government about rushing in to stop atrocities in other places.

We need to wait for the UN weapons inspectors to bring their findings before the UN. Then world leaders can come together and decide the appropriate response. We need to stop trying to be the policemen of the world.

[pangaia]

20. Where is the rest of the world?

[totodeinhere]

34. We need to approach each situation on its merits. Yes there are lot of horrific atrocities in this

world. Sometimes the international community is in a position to do something about it. And sometimes sadly there is no readily available solution that won't backfire and make things worse resulting in even more suffering. But in any event the USA is not the world's policeman and any such actions require international participation and consensus.

[Bosonic]

6. Obama set to discuss Syria from White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's top national security advisers gathered at the White House on Saturday, and Syrian television broadcast scenes of fighter jets, tanks and troops in training, flip sides of a countdown to a likely U.S. military strike meant to punish Bashar Assad's government for the alleged use of chemical weapons.

After days of deliberations, Obama arranged to speak in the White House Rose Garden in early afternoon. Aides who had said for days he had not made a decision on whether to strike Syria refused to repeat those words.

A White House official said Obama's remarks would not be about an imminent military operation in Syria, but rather would update the public about his decisions on how to proceed.

...

It seemed unlikely Obama would wait that long to order any strike, given the flotilla of U.S. warships equipped with cruise missiles and massed in the Mediterranean; Friday's release of a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment saying Assad's chemical weapons killed 1,429 civilians; and an intensifying round of briefings for lawmakers clamoring for information.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/un-experts-leave-syria-us-edges-toward-strike

[MannyGoldstein]

8. The Syrian government has agreed to let Larry "Toonces" Summers run its economy

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

[scarletwoman]

22. LOL!

[blkmusclmachine]

9. Follow the money. The WH is just the frontman.

[frazzled]

11. WH: No Announcement Of Imminent Strike In Obama Statement

Sorry to burst everybody's bubble:

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/white-house-no-decision-on-syria-yet-obama

[Harmony Blue]

18. So why have this?

[DCBob]

23. to stop rampant speculation by the bloodthirsty media.

[tridim]

29. Neo-DU is wrong again. No surprise here, they always are. nt

[frazzled]

37. Well, actually ...

I was referring to the Obama-is-a-war-mongering-criminal-in-the-mold-of-Bush crowd. They were just jammin' for him to unleash his evil powers so they could be right. They were not.

[dipsydoodle]

15. He's late

which reduces the significance of what he says.

[quadrature]

16. how many deaths are needed here?

maybe we could make some kind of deal

[MNBrewer]

21. nothing yet...

[DCBob]

24. The lengthy delay here indicates to me there is some disagreement among his advisors.

Its very possible they may be thinking of backing down.

[morningfog]

28. I think the opposite. Adding new "intel" at last

minute to justify bombs.

[DCBob]

30. He is going to request congressional approval.

that's new and may give him a way out.

[Ruby the Liberal]

25. We are going to bomb them.

[Ruby the Liberal]

26. And he is going after congress' approval

[DCBob]

32. I think that means we wont be bombing unless there is congressional approval.

[TomClash]

27. He's asking for a Congressional vote nt

[QSkier]

31. I'm honestly very conflicted by this proposed action

I don't know, honestly, how this will be seen around the world.

I also don't think we can stop Asaad's use of chemical weapons with bombing.

I welcome other thoughts on this from people better informed than I.

[demwing]

38. Well, we could bomb the chemical plants

and destroy the ability to make the weapons, right?

We can also "hold Assad responsible"...whatever that means (bomb his mansion?)

[QSkier]

39. I suspect that the "chemical plants" are in Russia

or in some place where a few deaths never get recorded.

There's enough poisoned gas around on this planet that there's no need for chemical plants, there's enough gas to make thousands of gas weapons.

Somehow, I doubt Syria really manufactures the gass and the weapons. I suspect that there's a link to Russia in all of this. That's why I think Russia is so opposed to this effort to control and bring Asaad to justice. This is a world-wide issie, and Russia is NOT some nation we want to go to war with .....e can defeat them, but the PR worldwide would be disastrous.

[WestSeattle2]

33. Just looking for consistency in our foreign policy. Does this mean North Korea and Iran are next?

[DCBob]

35. There has never been absolute consistency.. its always situational based on numerous factors.

[WestSeattle2]

36. Consistency would send the right message;situational policies simply invite recurring conflict.

Unspeakable horrors are inflicted daily by the governments of North Korea and Iran (and numerous others) on their own peoples, yet we keep our powder dry with barely a word of admonishment spoken. Talk about sending mixed signals.