Obama vows to explore Russian offer on Syria
- 11 years ago
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
STORY: U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to pursue a diplomatic initiative from Russia over Syria's chemical weapons on Tuesday (September 10) but voiced skepticism about it and urged Americans to support his threat to use military force.
Obama said in a White House speech that a Russian offer to push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to place chemical weapons under international control offered the possibility of heading off the type of limited military strike he is considering against Syria.
Speaking from the White House's East Room, Obama said U.S. and Russian officials would keep talking about the initiative and that he would discuss it with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, he said, he has asked the U.S. Senate to put off a vote on his request for an authorization of military force to let the diplomacy play out. He set no timetables for action, but said any deal with Assad would require verification that he keep h
STORY: U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to pursue a diplomatic initiative from Russia over Syria's chemical weapons on Tuesday (September 10) but voiced skepticism about it and urged Americans to support his threat to use military force.
Obama said in a White House speech that a Russian offer to push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to place chemical weapons under international control offered the possibility of heading off the type of limited military strike he is considering against Syria.
Speaking from the White House's East Room, Obama said U.S. and Russian officials would keep talking about the initiative and that he would discuss it with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, he said, he has asked the U.S. Senate to put off a vote on his request for an authorization of military force to let the diplomacy play out. He set no timetables for action, but said any deal with Assad would require verification that he keep h