U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committe approves the launch of military strike on Syria 0409134.

The Senate panel acted after top administration officials pressed their case Wednesday for congressional approval of a U.S. military strike, even if lawmakers would support only a more limited authorization than the administration originally wanted.

After classified, closed-doors hearings Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began debating a new draft of a resolution on the use of force in Syria in response to a reported chemical weapons attack last month that killed more than 1,400 people.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said tonight that a resolution in Congress on the use of military force in Syria should not remove the option of using US ground troops.

However, he stressed there was "no intention" of inserting American soldiers into Syria's civil war.

At the first public hearing in Congress on potential military action in Syria, Mr Kerry said "it would be preferable" not to preclude the use of ground troops.

He said it was better to preserve President Barack Obama's options if there was a potential threat of chemical weapons falling into the hands of extremists.