U.S. Senate vote on Syria resolution may be delayed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Barack Obama may not be able to seek overall congressional support for an attack on Syria for as long as a fortnight, amid signs he has failed to build an international alliance at the G20 and still faces the prospect of heavy defeat in the House of Representatives, the Guardian reports.

Sources at the G20 expected a vote in the Senate next week but a delay for at least for another week in the House. But the Republican-controlled House – where Obama faces his toughest opposition – has yet to even agree on the text of a resolution. Current calculations suggest Obama will lose in the House substantially.

Unless both Houses adopted the same resolution, which is unlikely, additional time would also be required to synchronies the two resolutions in order for a unified congressional position on the limits of force to emerge.

The slow timetable would give the White House longer to win over opinion, as well as increase the possibility that the UN weapons inspectors will report definitively on whether chemical weapons were used on August 21.

The UN report will not ascribe responsibility for the attack, and David Cameron admitted skepticism that he would ever be able to persuade the Vladimir Putin that the attack was carried out by forces loyal to President Assad.

The longer timeframe also risks anger dissipating over the attack.

A sharply divided U.S. Senate committee voted Wednesday, Sept 4, to give President Barack Obama limited authority to use force against Syria. The committee voted 10-7 in favor of a compromise resolution that sets a 60-day limit on any engagement in Syria, with a possible 30-day extension, and bars the use of U.S. troops on the ground for combat operations.

The administration is trying to balance the views of many in Congress who want a narrowly defined resolution against hawks such as Senator John McCain, who has pushed for a broader resolution that would allow direct U.S. support for rebels.

The Senate committee adopted amendments proposed by McCain with policy goals of degrading Assad's ability to use chemical weapons, increasing support for rebel forces and reversing battlefield momentum to create conditions for Assad's removal.

The authorization faces significant resistance in Congress, where many lawmakers fear it could lead to a prolonged U.S. military involvement in Syria's civil war and spark an escalation of regional violence.