A US Senate panel has reached a deal on draft authorization for the use of military force in Syria, which is to be voted on Wednesday. President Barack Obama has gained support of key figures in the US Congress, including Republicans, in his call for a limited military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians...
Following a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Tuesday, the panel reached an agreement on a draft authorization to use military force in Syria in response to a suspected chemicals weapons attack.
However, the draft is much narrower than the request made by Obama and includes a provision barring the use of US troops on the ground.
Among other provisions, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee draft, which was obtained by Reuters, sets a 60-day limit on US military action in Syria, with a possibility of a single 30-day extension subject to conditions.
"What we are envisioning is something limited. It is something proportional. It will degrade Assad's capabilities," Obama said. "At the same time we have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition."
Obama backed by Republicans
Earlier Tuesday, Obama gained support from senior Republicans for a punitive military strike during bipartisan White House talks.
John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor both pledged their support for military action after the meeting.
Votes are expected to be held in the Senate and House next week, with the Republican-led House presenting the tougher challenge for Obama. The House leadership has indicated the votes will be "conscience votes," meaning they will not seek to influence members' votes on party lines.
US citizens are not yet supportive
Most Americans, however, have not yet given their support to Obama, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday. 56 percent of those surveyed said the US should not intervene in Syria, while only 19 percent supported action.
Obama is "comfortable" to start strikes without UN approval
In remarks that appeared to question the legality of U.S. plans to strike Syria without UN backing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the use of force is only legal when it is in self-defense or with Security Council authorization. If UN inspectors confirm the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Security Council, which has been deadlocked on the two and a half years Syrian civil war, should overcome its differences and take action, Ban said.
Obama has said he is "comfortable going forward without the approval of a United Nations Security Council that so far has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable.
Assad, however, denies deploying poison gas that killed hundreds of civilians last month.
However, the draft is much narrower than the request made by Obama and includes a provision barring the use of US troops on the ground.
Among other provisions, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee draft, which was obtained by Reuters, sets a 60-day limit on US military action in Syria, with a possibility of a single 30-day extension subject to conditions.
The draft document is to be voted on by the committee on Wednesday.
Speaking after the United Nations reported that two million Syrians had fled their country that posed the greatest threat to world peace since the Vietnam war, Obama said on Tuesday the US also has a broader plan to help rebels defeat Assad's forces."What we are envisioning is something limited. It is something proportional. It will degrade Assad's capabilities," Obama said. "At the same time we have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition."
Obama backed by Republicans
Earlier Tuesday, Obama gained support from senior Republicans for a punitive military strike during bipartisan White House talks.
John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor both pledged their support for military action after the meeting.
Votes are expected to be held in the Senate and House next week, with the Republican-led House presenting the tougher challenge for Obama. The House leadership has indicated the votes will be "conscience votes," meaning they will not seek to influence members' votes on party lines.
US citizens are not yet supportive
Most Americans, however, have not yet given their support to Obama, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday. 56 percent of those surveyed said the US should not intervene in Syria, while only 19 percent supported action.
Obama is "comfortable" to start strikes without UN approval
In remarks that appeared to question the legality of U.S. plans to strike Syria without UN backing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the use of force is only legal when it is in self-defense or with Security Council authorization. If UN inspectors confirm the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Security Council, which has been deadlocked on the two and a half years Syrian civil war, should overcome its differences and take action, Ban said.
Obama has said he is "comfortable going forward without the approval of a United Nations Security Council that so far has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable.
Assad, however, denies deploying poison gas that killed hundreds of civilians last month.
