U.S. President Barack Obama urges American Congress to authorize military action against Syria 03091

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Defence & Security News - United States
 
 
Tuesday, September 3, 2013 11:45 PM
 
U.S. President Barack Obama urges American Congress to authorize military action against Syria.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, September 2, 2013, urged Congress for "a prompt vote" to authorize military action against Syria, and leaders of both parties in the Republican controlled House said they will back Obama. Meeting with Congressional leaders at the White House, Obama promised his proposed strike against Syria will be "limited" and "proportional."
     
U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, September 2, 2013, urged Congress for "a prompt vote" to authorize military action against Syria, and leaders of both parties in the Republican controlled House said they will back Obama. Meeting with Congressional leaders at the White House, Obama promised his proposed strike against Syria will be "limited" and "proportional."
U.S. President Barack Obama urged Congress for "a prompt vote" to authorize military action against Syria.
     

"This is a limited, proportional step that will send a clear message, not only to the Assad regime, but also to other countries that may be interested in testing some of these international norms that there are consequences," Obama said. "This is not Iraq and this is not Afghanistan."

House Speaker John Boehner, who spoke to reporters after the meeting, pledged his support, saying the United States had to respond to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and called for members of Congress to support the president.

Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader who is also for military action, said she did not believe Congress would reject a resolution authorizing military action.

Except for Boehner and Pelosi, Obama also invited to the meeting chairs and ranking members of Senate and House's Armed Services Committee, Foreign Relations Committee and Intelligence Committee, in a push to win over skeptical Congress members, especially those in the House.

The White House on Aug. 31 sent Congress a draft resolution to authorize a military strike against Syria. Obama promised the strike would not "involve boots on the ground."

Obama is leaving for Sweden Tuesday night on a three-day visit to Sweden and Russia. But the task of convincing Congress is still the top priority for the administration, as Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are to testify before Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday afternoon.