US Senate panel passes vote authorizing military intervention in Syria

September 4, 2013 | By hromedia | Reply More

Sep 04, – A US Senate panel has authorized the use of military force in Syria by a vote of 10-7, with one senator voting present. The move paves the way for a full Senate vote next week. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in favor of President Barack Obama’s plan to launch military action in Syria on Wednesday in the wake of an alleged chemical attack.

The amended resolution authorizes US military intervention with a 90-day deadline and bars US boots on the ground.

The panel’s backing sets the stage for a full senate vote expected to take place next week. The House of Representatives must also approve the resolution, after Congress reconvenes on Monday.

The US accuses the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons in an attack on a Damascus suburb on August 21. It claims that 1,429 people were killed in the incident.

Earlier Obama told a press conference in Sweden that the international community had a duty to uphold a ban on the use of chemical weapons, ratified by countries around the world.

My credibility is not on the line. The international community’s credibility is on the line,” Obama said, speaking alongside Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

“America and Congress’ credibility is on the line, because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important,” Obama added. The president had previously described the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a “red line.”

Press journalist for HROmedia – Khizer Hayat contributed to this report.