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US President Barack Obama postponed a decision on military strikes against Syria, sparing him a political defeat at home and plunging the US into potentially protracted negotiations with a global rival.
After telling the nation 10 days ago he would ask Congress to authorise using military force, Obama reversed course on Tuesday night in a nationally televised address and said he would pursue a proposal by Russia to have Syria surrender its stockpiles of chemical arms to international authorities.
By doing so, the US President is casting his lot with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syrian President Bashar al- Assad's primary patron, who has emerged as Obama's chief foreign antagonist in his second term.
"It's too early to tell whether this offer will succeed, and any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments," Obama said in remarks from the East Room of the White House. The initiative "has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force, particularly because Russia is one of Assad's strongest allies".
Obama's speech, on the eve of the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US, underscores how conflict in the region continues to dominate his foreign policy even as the President has said he wants the nation to move on from years of armed conflict.
'Resisted calls'
"I have resisted calls for military action because we cannot resolve someone else's civil war through force, particularly after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan," Obama, 52, said.
The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons "profoundly changed" that stance.
The President spent much of his 16-minute address repeating his arguments justifying the use of force to deter any future use of chemical weapons, even as he said the US can't be "the world's policeman".
"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," he said.
Obama emphasised his scepticism about whether Syria would comply and said he has instructed US military commanders to be ready to strike at a moment's notice.
The Russian proposal and Syria's initial response offered "some encouraging signs" that should be pursued, he said. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Thursday, and Obama said he will continue talking with Putin. The US, UK and France will work together at the United Nations.
Hollande's determination
Obama's strategy won the endorsement of France, the principal US ally in any military venture against Assad. French President Francois Hollande voiced "determination" to work through the UN Security Council while "remaining mobilised" to punish Syria for using chemical weapons, according to an emailed statement.
Optimism that the US would avoid a new military conflict in a region that pumps about a third of global oil supplies helped send stocks higher.
The Standard & Poor's 500 Index extended its longest winning streak since July, advancing 0.7 per cent to 1,683.99 on Tuesday in New York. Futures on the gauge were little changed at 10:40 am in London on Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery rose after a two-day drop, gaining 0.4 per cent to $107.78 a barrel.
Congressional resistance
Obama is facing resistance to using force from lawmakers and the public. Over the past week, a majority of members in the House of Representatives came out in opposition to his request to use US airstrikes against Syria. Multiple recent polls showed about two-thirds of the public against it as well, leaving the administration facing the prospect of losing a vote in Congress on a major foreign policy matter.
The Russian initiative represents a political rescue of sorts for the President, Republican Representative Peter King of New York said. "He would not have gotten the votes" in Congress for an authorisation to attack Syria.
While Obama made a good case for taking action against Syria, King said, he didn't sufficiently discuss the implications of Putin's involvement. That may assure Assad remains in power and make Russia a major player in West Asia, King said, and trying to make an agreement work means "this could go on for months and months".
