NEW YORK - Erol Avdovic
The U.S. House of Representatives in Washington may not discuss the possible military intervention against Syria by September 9th, House Speaker John Boehner said Saturday.
The House will consider President Obama’s request for authorization to carry on with his plans for military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
In a dramatic statement US President Barack Obama said that while he is prepared to launch a military strike against the regime in Damascus, in response to what he called "the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century” -- he will first seek authorization from the US Congress.
In an announcement in the White House Rose Garden, Mr. Obama said he will wait for US Congress -- even though he has decided a military strike is needed: “We should have this debate,” he said, adding: “I respect the views of those who call for caution,” The Washington Post reported.
After he has met with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders, Obama said they have agreed to schedule votes on that.
The White House officials already briefed members of Congress (House and Senate) on latest developments in Syria.
Obama seeks to strengthen the support of the Congress and US public opinion - as he tries to build broader support for military action against Assad, The New York Times reported.
Earlier US Congress Republicans stated opposition to Obama’s possible unilateral decision making on Syria without considering the Capitol Hill, but looked very pleased Saturday by President Obama’s decision.
In a joint statement by the House representatives, they said they were “glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised."
They also went to stress: "This provides the president time to make his case to Congress and the American people."
Obama said “US military has positioned assets in the region."
US President also mentioned that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has informed him the preparation for the strikes were done, and he as a commander-in-chief can order the attacks whenever he chooses.
Standing by Mr. Obama at the White House was the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and also Vice President Joe Biden and Pentagon chief (Defense Secretary) Chuck Hagel.
In a dramatic statement, Mr. Obama said US “capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive”, but he has been prepared to give the order for strikes.
Waiting for the U.N.?
At the United Nations in New York, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Martin Nesirky, told Anadolu Agency that the UN will not operate with the timeline – for when the inspectors would present their results on alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21 in Syria.
He said the final report will include technical data and interviews that were conducted on the ground.
Mr. Nesirky stressed the UN team “would conduct an impartial and credible investigation”.
According to some U.N. diplomats, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday explained to delegates from the five permanent Security Council members - US, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France – that “it would take up to two weeks before the chemical inspectors' final report is ready”, Reuters reported on Saturday.
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