OBAMA: US Still ‘Prepared To Act’ In Syria If Diplomacy Fails
BRETT LOGIURATO
BusinessInsider.com
Sept 14, 2013
President Barack Obama said in a statement on Saturday that the framework of a U.S.-Russian deal over Syria’s chemical weapons is an “important, concrete step” toward diplomacy, but emphasized that the U.S. is “prepared to act” if the deal falters.
The framework of the deal ends a whirlwind couple of weeks on Syria, and allows for quick international control over Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles. The goal is elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment by the first half of 2014.
Here’s Obama’s full statement:
I welcome the progress made between the United States and Russia through our talks in Geneva, which represents an important, concrete step toward the goal of moving Syria’s chemical weapons under international control so that they may ultimately be destroyed. This framework provides the opportunity for the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons in a transparent, expeditious, and verifiable manner, which could end the threat these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but to the region and the world. The international community expects the Assad regime to live up to its public commitments.
While we have made important progress, much more work remains to be done. The United States will continue working with Russia, the United Kingdom, France, the United Nations and others to ensure that this process is verifiable, and that there are consequences should the Assad regime not comply with the framework agreed today. And, if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act.
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