Specter of North Korea lurks in U.S. debate on Syria’s chemical weapons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Obama administration officials making the case for a U.S. military response to Syria’s alleged gassing of its citizens are invoking another American foe long suspected of stockpiling chemical weapons: North Korea.
Democratic Senator Manchin opposes military strikes against Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Thursday opposed a White House-backed resolution that would provide congressional authorization of U.S. military strikes against Syria.
U.S. gives up on U.N. Security Council in Syria crisis, blames Russia
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States declared on Thursday that it has given up trying to work with the U.N. Security Council on Syria, accusing Russia of holding the council hostage and allowing Moscow’s allies in Syria to deploy poison gas aga…
Obama’s plan on Syria hinges on ‘undecideds’ in Congress
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The fate of a U.S. congressional resolution to authorize a military strike against Syria is in the hands of scores of lawmakers from both parties who have not made up their minds and say they are not getting the information they …
Together again, Obama and Putin are ‘odd couple’ at summit
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – A brief photo-op on Thursday between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke volumes, limited mostly to tight smiles and a businesslike handshake between U.S. and Russian leaders bitterly divided by the crisis in Syria….
Reid ‘guardedly optimistic’ U.S. Senate will back military strike against Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is “guardedly optimistic” that his chamber next week will approve limited military strikes against Syria, a Democratic aide said on Thursday.
Kerry not losing sleep after Putin calls him a liar: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department dismissed as “preposterous” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Secretary of State John Kerry lied to Congress about al Qaeda’s role in Syria.
Kerry to discuss Syria on Europe trip, meet Abbas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss Syria, Egypt and Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with European officials on a weekend trip to Vilnius, Paris and London, where he will see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the S…
Obama cancels trip to California next week to work on Syria vote: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has canceled a trip to California next week so that he can stay in Washington “to work on the Syrian resolution before Congress,” a White House official said on Thursday.
Obama, Japan’s Abe discuss Syria crisis at G20
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shared the view that chemical weapons use in Syria was a violation of international law that must be addressed.