US senate panel passes authorization for military response in Syria

05/09/2013| IslamWeb

A US Senate panel has voted to authorize use of force in response to the deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria ahead of a Congress vote next week, as domestic support for a US-led military operation grows.

The measure prevents deploying US troops on the ground, and sets a 60-day time limit for operations, with a possible 30-day extension.

Foreign Relations Committee’s approval comes as a further indication for the broad backing President Obama seeks to have in Congress, after he received support from several key Republican leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner.

Congress will reconvene on Monday next week, when a vote is expected to portray MPs’ final decision on President Obama's plan.

State Secretary John Kerry had testified on Wednesday in front of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee along with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey.

During the panel session, Kerry laid down the case for a "targeted and limited" military strike to punish the Syrian regime for the gas attack that the US says killed nearly 1,500 people.

Meanwhile, experts think Congress will probably say “yes” on Syria, but it still may not be an easy sell to all Americans.

According to well-known conservative Bill Kristol, editor of Weekly Standard, Republicans will back President Barack Obama's call for military action in Syria.

"I think the Republican Party will step up and do the right thing and support the President against a chemical-weapons-using, terror-sponsoring, Iran-backed dictator," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press“.

Although not unified, and with 233 Republicans, 200 Democrats and only two vacant seats, the House of Representatives can offer President Obama significant support from both sides, this time led by his political opponents at Capitol Hill.

As part of the accelerating activities in the same direction, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey -- also briefed House Democrats on an unclassified conference call.

PHOTO CAPTION

US Secretary of State John Kerry confers with U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013.

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