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September 11, 2013

Obama Delays Congressional Vote on Syria After Russian Proposal 
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President Obama has asked Congress to delay its vote on authorizing
military force in "Syria"http://www.democracynow.org/topics/syria while
the United States weighs a potential diplomatic breakthrough with
Russia. In a national address from the White House Tuesday night, Obama
said the United States will explore Russia's proposal to place Syria's
chemical weapons under international control.

President Obama: "It's too early to tell whether this offer will
succeed, and any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its
commitments. But this initiative has the potential to remove the threat
of chemical weapons without the use of force, particularly because
Russia is one of Assad's strongest allies. I have therefore asked the
leaders of Congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force
while we pursue this diplomatic path."