The US today said military strikes in Syria would be "unbelievably small" and the solution to the Syrian conflict must be political not military, even as President Bashar al-Assad warned America and its allies to "expect every action" in retaliation.
"Let me be clear, the United States, President (Barack) Obama, myself, others are in full agreement that the end of the conflict in Syria requires a political solution. There is no military solution, we have no illusions about that," Kerry said after his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in London.
"A resolution will not be found on the battlefield, but at that negotiating table. But we have to get to that table," Kerry said.
He stressed that any military strike on Syria would be an "unbelievably small, limited kind of effort" that would not risk dragging the US into war.
"We're not talking about war. We are not going to war. We are not going to have people put at risk in that way. We are going to be able to hold Bashar al-Assad responsible without having troops on the ground," he told reporters.
The US has alleged that the nerve agent sarin was used by the Assad regime on August 21 and that at least 1,429 people were killed, including over 400 children, a charge denied by the Syrian government.
"I don't believe that we should shy from this moment: the risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting," Kerry said.
After spending most of his time over the weekend calling up and meeting lawmakers, President Barack Obama will be on a media publicity blitz over the next two days to convince war-weary Americans that an attack on Syria is needed for the long-term safety of the US.
Russia, which has vehemently opposed unilateral action in Syria, today warned military strikes against Syria risked causing an "outburst of terrorism" in the region.
"The possibility for a political solution remains," Lavrov said. He said that his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem has assured him at the talks in Moscow that Damascus was still "ready for peace talks".
Meanwhile, Assad has warned that if President Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the US and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation.
"You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government," Assad told CBS News yesterday in his first television interview since Obama sought congressional approval for military action in Syria.
