US President Barack Obama holds up a glass at a luncheon hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the sideline of the 68th United Nations General Assembly at the UN in New York on 24 September 2013. (Photo: AFP - Jewel Samad)
US President Barack Obama urged the United Nations on Tuesday to back a military assault against Syria if it refuses to give up chemical weapons and urged Russia and Iran to abandon their support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Speaking to the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of world leaders, Obama laid out US priorities for the Middle East and North Africa. He stressed that the United States does not rule out military strikes against those it considers its enemies.
Obama stepped back from launching a military assault against Syria early this month, setting in motion a diplomatic effort that led to Russian assistance in persuading Syria to agree to give up its chemical weapons after a poison gas attack on August 21.
"The Syrian government took a first step by giving an accounting of its stockpiles. Now, there must be a strong Security Council resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments, and there must be consequences if they fail to do so," Obama said.
The worry from the US side is that Russia might veto any UN resolution that contains an explicit threat of military force against Syria.
Obama had an explicit message for Syria's two main partners Iran and Russia: The notion that Syria can return to a pre-war status quo "is a fantasy."
"It's time for Russia and Iran to realize that insisting on Assad's rule will lead directly to the outcome they fear – an increasingly violent space for extremists to operate," he said.
He also seemed to specifically reject Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent criticism of Americans' belief of "American exceptionalism," a view that Obama has repeated, as have other US presidents, to justify US intervention abroad.
"Some may disagree, but I believe that America is exceptional – in part because we have shown a willingness, through the sacrifice of blood and treasure, to stand up not only for our own narrow self-interest, but for the interests of all," he said.
(Reuters)
Speaking to the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of world leaders, Obama laid out US priorities for the Middle East and North Africa. He stressed that the United States does not rule out military strikes against those it considers its enemies.
Obama stepped back from launching a military assault against Syria early this month, setting in motion a diplomatic effort that led to Russian assistance in persuading Syria to agree to give up its chemical weapons after a poison gas attack on August 21.
"The Syrian government took a first step by giving an accounting of its stockpiles. Now, there must be a strong Security Council resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments, and there must be consequences if they fail to do so," Obama said.
The worry from the US side is that Russia might veto any UN resolution that contains an explicit threat of military force against Syria.
Obama had an explicit message for Syria's two main partners Iran and Russia: The notion that Syria can return to a pre-war status quo "is a fantasy."
"It's time for Russia and Iran to realize that insisting on Assad's rule will lead directly to the outcome they fear – an increasingly violent space for extremists to operate," he said.
He also seemed to specifically reject Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent criticism of Americans' belief of "American exceptionalism," a view that Obama has repeated, as have other US presidents, to justify US intervention abroad.
"Some may disagree, but I believe that America is exceptional – in part because we have shown a willingness, through the sacrifice of blood and treasure, to stand up not only for our own narrow self-interest, but for the interests of all," he said.
(Reuters)