DC | 2 hours 25 min ago
Washington: US naval forces on Saturday moved closer to Syria as President Barack Obama met his national security team to discuss a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Arab country earlier this week.
Obama’s meeting came as secretary of state John Kerry reached out to world leaders and the Pentagon moved its naval military assets near Syria.
“As we have previously stated, the President has directed the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence so that we can determine what occurred in Syria,” the White House official said. “Once we ascertain the facts, the President will make an informed decision about how to respond.”
The official said the US has “a range of options available” and would “act very deliberately so that we are making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria”.
On his way to Malaysia, US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said that he spent a good amount of time on a video teleconference with the Pres-ident’s senior national security advisers.
“I’ll continue to be closely connected and involved with the President’s national security advisers on this issue. The defence department has a responsibility to provide the President with options for all contingencies,” Mr Hagel said. “That requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets to be able to carry out different options, whatever options the president might choose,” he said.
Hagel’s comments came as a defence official said the US Navy would expand its presence in the Mediterranean with a fourth warship armed with cruise missiles.
The US Sixth Fleet, with responsibility in the Mediterranean, has decided to keep the USS Mahan in the region instead of letting it return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia. —Agencies
UN envoy arrives in Syria
Damascus: Under secretary general Angela Kane arrived at a Damascus hotel on Saturday to press for an inquiry into alleged chemical weapons attacks.
The US, Britain, France and Russia have all urged the Assad regime and the rebels fighting to overthrow him to cooperate with the United Nations and allow UN experts already in Syria to look into the latest purported use of chemical agents.
The UN experts in Syria are tasked with investigating three earlier purported chemical attacks in the country: one in the village of Khan al-Assal outside Aleppo in March, as well as two other locations that have been kept secret for security reasons.
It took months of negotiations Damascus before an agreement was struck to allow the 20-member team into Syria to investigate. -Agencies
Washington: US naval forces on Saturday moved closer to Syria as President Barack Obama met his national security team to discuss a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Arab country earlier this week.
Obama’s meeting came as secretary of state John Kerry reached out to world leaders and the Pentagon moved its naval military assets near Syria.
“As we have previously stated, the President has directed the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence so that we can determine what occurred in Syria,” the White House official said. “Once we ascertain the facts, the President will make an informed decision about how to respond.”
The official said the US has “a range of options available” and would “act very deliberately so that we are making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria”.
On his way to Malaysia, US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said that he spent a good amount of time on a video teleconference with the Pres-ident’s senior national security advisers.
“I’ll continue to be closely connected and involved with the President’s national security advisers on this issue. The defence department has a responsibility to provide the President with options for all contingencies,” Mr Hagel said. “That requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets to be able to carry out different options, whatever options the president might choose,” he said.
Hagel’s comments came as a defence official said the US Navy would expand its presence in the Mediterranean with a fourth warship armed with cruise missiles.
The US Sixth Fleet, with responsibility in the Mediterranean, has decided to keep the USS Mahan in the region instead of letting it return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia. —Agencies
UN envoy arrives in Syria
Damascus: Under secretary general Angela Kane arrived at a Damascus hotel on Saturday to press for an inquiry into alleged chemical weapons attacks.
The US, Britain, France and Russia have all urged the Assad regime and the rebels fighting to overthrow him to cooperate with the United Nations and allow UN experts already in Syria to look into the latest purported use of chemical agents.
The UN experts in Syria are tasked with investigating three earlier purported chemical attacks in the country: one in the village of Khan al-Assal outside Aleppo in March, as well as two other locations that have been kept secret for security reasons.
It took months of negotiations Damascus before an agreement was struck to allow the 20-member team into Syria to investigate. -Agencies
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