US, Obama considers military action against Syria
By Adeola Ayinde
US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that the US had presented a “powerful case” linking the government of President Bashar al-Assad to an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Damascus last week. Obama he has decided to take military action against Syria, but will seek authorization from Congress before he does
According to Obama in a brief address at the white house monitored by our correspondents “It is a danger to our national security,” he said, “that risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons”. He further said US military was prepared to launch a “limited” strike, which expert say will likely entail firing missiles at Syrian army targets.
Obama who sounded very confident said “I’m confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons and deter this kind of behaviour and degrade their capacity to carry it out,” he said.
The senate of the US would hold a vote on authorising the use of limited military force before the send of second week in September when the Senate resumes from recess. A Public hearing on the issue is schedule for next week Senior US Government next week.
The Government of Syria has denied carrying out the attack, and Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said on Saturday that Syria’s army is ready for potential foreign strikes against it and has its “finger on the trigger”.
In an expected twist to the US government attack on Assad Government in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that the US provide evidence of the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons to the UN Security Council.
According to Putin a strong ally of President Assad, it would amount to “utter nonsense” for the Syrian government to have used such weapons. “Syrian government troops are on the offensive and have surrounded the opposition in several regions. In these conditions, to give a trump card to those who are calling for a military intervention is utter nonsense,” Putin told reporters in Vladivostok city near the Chinese border.
