Obama won't attack Syria without Congress backing: U.S. official

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- A senior U.S. official said Friday that President Barack Obama has no intention to attack Syria without Congressional authorization.

In an interview with National Public Radio, Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said despite the fact Obama "has the authority" to act on Syria without Congressional consent, "it's neither his (Obama's) desire nor intention to use that authority absent Congress backing him."

The resolution to authorize a military action against Syria is having trouble gaining support in Congress, and Blinken said the White House is reaching out to lawmakers on the matter.

"After the events of Aug. 21 we reached out to Congress and we had conversations with members of Congress across the country and the one thing we heard from nearly all of them was that they wanted their voice heard and their votes counted," he said.

The Obama administration accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons on Aug. 21 against opposition in the suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian government denied the accusation.

• China: G20 focus should be economy, not Syria
• Syrian refugees exceed 2m
• Activists in U.S. protest against military strike on Syria
• Protest against potential military action on Syria held in Jordan
• U.S. can't justify potential Syria strike
• U.S. could be dragged into broader conflict by attacking Syria
• U.S. attack on Syria could backfire
• Strong opposition forces Obama to kick Syria ball to Congress
• UN rejects suggestions inspectors' Syria exit opens window for strikes
• UN Syria chemical weapons probe team to submit evidence to labs

We Recommend

• Mountain of garbage in Nairobi
• Highlights of MAKS 2013 Int'l Aviation and Space Show
• 10th China-ASEAN Expo opens in Nanning
• Eagle Boy takes to sky to break another record
• 12-year-old boy becomes pillar of the family
• Eye-gouged boy receives blind rehabilitation in Shanxi
• Top 10 naked hotels in the world
• The most gorgeous Chinese women in the eyes of foreigners
• A collection of bizarre rooftop buildings around China