Obama, Putin meet privately to discuss Syria, no details offered

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama met privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the midst of their dispute over how to respond to chemical weapons use in Syria.

According to The Associated Press, Putin told reporters they spoke for 20 or 30 minutes Friday, Sept 6, and focused on Syria. The Russian president says while they disagreed, the meeting was constructive.

The White House confirmed the meeting but offered no details, AP says.

Putin has been among the loudest critics on the international stage of Obama's push for a military strike in Syria. He blasted the push as an "act of aggression." He has said in recent interviews that a strike would be illegal if the United Nations does not support it.

The Russian President called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a liar, claiming he had denied that al-Qaeda was fighting with the Syrian opposition in that country's civil war.

Speaking to his human rights council, Putin recalled watching a congressional debate where Kerry was asked about al-Qaeda. Putin said he had denied that it was operating in Syria, even though he was aware of the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group.

Putin said: "This was very unpleasant and surprising for me. We talk to them (the Americans) and we assume they are decent people, but he is lying and he knows that he is lying. This is sad."

The international; community remains sharply divided on the issue.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday that UK scientists have found evidence that poison gas was used in the alleged attacks. In an interview with BBC television, Cameron said that the evidence "further shows the use of chemical weapons in that Damascus suburb."

Despite the new evidence, Britain will not join a U.S.-led military strike as the UK parliament voted down a bid by Cameron for military intervention. However, Washington has found a firm partner in France. China has already expressed its "grave concerns" over unilateral military strikes.

From Rome, Pope Francis urged leaders of the G-20 nations, the world's largest economies, to avoid the "futile pursuit" of military action.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - that they have a “collective responsibility to mankind” to act. However, he reiterated that any decision “should be taken within the framework of the UN Charter, as a matter of principle.”