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Barack Obama addressed the White House through TV link on Tuesday, demanding the Syria government to give up its stockpiles of chemical weapons to the international venue.
Speaking on the 12th year after the 911 terrorist attack, the U.S. president once again stressed his need for congressional authorization to commence military action against Syria, despite this may not be necessary. Not responding to threats of chemical weapons will bring harm to the innocent ones across the world.
"America is not the world's policeman. Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong. But when, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act," said Obama.
Even though the row is to end up with fire, the extent will be limited, Obama said.
"I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria," he said. "I will not pursue an open-ended action like Iraq or Afghanistan. I will not pursue a prolonged air campaign like Libya or Kosovo. This would be a targeted strike to achieve a clear objective, deterring the use of chemical weapons and degrading Assad’s capabilities."
But in the mean time, he said he is happy to see Russia, a strong ally of Syria, is also publicly requesting the latter to disarm. He is making diplomatic efforts to tackle the crisis.
"I'm sending Secretary of State John Kerry to meet his Russian counterpart on Thursday, and I will continue my own discussions with President Putin," Obama said. He said the White House is drafting a U.N. Security Council resolution that would require Assad to unconditionally destroy his chemical weapons.
Apart from Russia, Obama said he is also working closely with the international communities, such as the U.K, France and China to work out resolutions, which he looks forward to be a peaceful one.
