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President Obama said on Monday he would "run to ground" a proposal outlined by the Russians that would wrest control of chemical weapons from Syria and would potentially head off a U.S. military strike against the Bashar Assad regime.
Obama, who conducted a half dozen television interviews on Monday afternoon to try to gin up support for his call for military action against Syria said he would "absolutely" put off a punitive strike if Assad gave up his weapons.
"It's possible if it's real," Obama told CNN in an interview that aired Monday of the possible breakthrough on the Syria crisis. "And, you know, I think it's certainly a positive development when, the Russians and the Syrians both make gestures toward dealing with these chemical weapons. This is what we've been asking for not just over the last week or the last month, but for the last couple of years."
OBAMA: Undecided if Congress votes no on strike
"If we can exhaust these diplomatic efforts and come up with a formula that gives the international community a verifiable, enforceable mechanism to deal with these chemical weapons in Syria, then I'm all for it," Obama added in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
"But we're going to have to see specifics," Obama said. "And I think it is reasonable to assume that we would not be at this point if there were not a credible military threat standing behind the norm against the use of chemical weapons."
VOTE LOOMS: Will Congress support a military strike on Syria?
The comments from Obama came after Secretary of State John Kerry suggested earlier on Monday that if Assad turned over "every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week" he could avoid military action. Those remarks triggered a proposal on Monday from the Russians that Damascus place its chemical weapons under international monitors to head off a confrontation
Obama also expressed pessimism about Congress approving a military strike against Syria, telling NBC News in a separate "I wouldn't say I'm confident" about the measure passing.
The Syrian government said Monday it welcomed the Russian proposal to avoid a U.S.military strike by placing its chemical weapons under international monitors.
The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem came in response to a proposal put forth Monday by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, as a way to defuse the crisis over the use of chemical weapons. The two foreign ministers held talks in Moscow on Monday.
"I state that the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, motivated by the Syrian leadership's concern for the lives of our citizens and the security of our country, and also motivated by our confidence in the wisdom of the Russian leadership, which is attempting to prevent American aggression against our people," Moualem said.
Moualem did not say whether his country would agree to what Russia was asking.
Lavrov said he hoped to receive a "fast and positive answer."
The Russian foreign minister said that if such a move would help avert a possible U.S. strike on Syria, Russia will start work "immediately" to persuade Syria to give up control of its chemical arsenals.
In Washington, the White House said Monday it will "want to take a hard look" at the Russian proposal.
"We'll talk to the Russians about it," said deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken.
Blinken said the proposal comes in the "context of U.S. action and the pressure the president is exerting."
Also in Washington, former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Syria surrendering chemical stockpiles would be an "important step" to averting a U.S. military strike, but it can't be an "excuse for delay or obstruction" by the Bashar Assad regime.
In Moscow, Lavrov said Russia would urge Syria to concentrate its chemical weapons in certain areas under international oversight, then dismantle them.
Obama says Russian Syria proposal could be a breakthrough
Thank GOD
Obama, who conducted a half dozen television interviews on Monday afternoon to try to gin up support for his call for military action against Syria said he would "absolutely" put off a punitive strike if Assad gave up his weapons.
"It's possible if it's real," Obama told CNN in an interview that aired Monday of the possible breakthrough on the Syria crisis. "And, you know, I think it's certainly a positive development when, the Russians and the Syrians both make gestures toward dealing with these chemical weapons. This is what we've been asking for not just over the last week or the last month, but for the last couple of years."
OBAMA: Undecided if Congress votes no on strike
"If we can exhaust these diplomatic efforts and come up with a formula that gives the international community a verifiable, enforceable mechanism to deal with these chemical weapons in Syria, then I'm all for it," Obama added in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
"But we're going to have to see specifics," Obama said. "And I think it is reasonable to assume that we would not be at this point if there were not a credible military threat standing behind the norm against the use of chemical weapons."
VOTE LOOMS: Will Congress support a military strike on Syria?
The comments from Obama came after Secretary of State John Kerry suggested earlier on Monday that if Assad turned over "every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week" he could avoid military action. Those remarks triggered a proposal on Monday from the Russians that Damascus place its chemical weapons under international monitors to head off a confrontation
Obama also expressed pessimism about Congress approving a military strike against Syria, telling NBC News in a separate "I wouldn't say I'm confident" about the measure passing.
The Syrian government said Monday it welcomed the Russian proposal to avoid a U.S.military strike by placing its chemical weapons under international monitors.
The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem came in response to a proposal put forth Monday by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, as a way to defuse the crisis over the use of chemical weapons. The two foreign ministers held talks in Moscow on Monday.
"I state that the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, motivated by the Syrian leadership's concern for the lives of our citizens and the security of our country, and also motivated by our confidence in the wisdom of the Russian leadership, which is attempting to prevent American aggression against our people," Moualem said.
Moualem did not say whether his country would agree to what Russia was asking.
Lavrov said he hoped to receive a "fast and positive answer."
The Russian foreign minister said that if such a move would help avert a possible U.S. strike on Syria, Russia will start work "immediately" to persuade Syria to give up control of its chemical arsenals.
In Washington, the White House said Monday it will "want to take a hard look" at the Russian proposal.
"We'll talk to the Russians about it," said deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken.
Blinken said the proposal comes in the "context of U.S. action and the pressure the president is exerting."
Also in Washington, former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Syria surrendering chemical stockpiles would be an "important step" to averting a U.S. military strike, but it can't be an "excuse for delay or obstruction" by the Bashar Assad regime.
In Moscow, Lavrov said Russia would urge Syria to concentrate its chemical weapons in certain areas under international oversight, then dismantle them.
Obama says Russian Syria proposal could be a breakthrough
Thank GOD
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