WASHINGTON, May 16 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) – Against the backdrop of a violent civil war in Syria and the possible use of chemical weapons by government forces, US President Barack Obama said Thursday he is open to a “whole range” of options in Syria, but that a peaceful resolution will come from the combined efforts of the international community rather than unilateral actions by the United States alone.
“I preserve the options of taking additional steps – both diplomatic and military – because those chemical weapons inside of Syria also threaten our security over the long term, as well as our allies and friends and neighbors,” Obama said at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the White House Rose Garden.
Obama said while there is evidence of chemical weapons that have been used in Syria, it’s important to get “more specific information about what exactly is happening there.”
“But separate and apart from the chemical weapons, we know that tens of thousands of people are being killed with artillery and mortars, and that the humanitarian crisis and the slaughter that’s taking place by itself is sufficient to prompt strong international action,” he added.
Erdogan’s visit to Washington comes just days after twin car bombs killed dozens of people in Turkey, an attack Turkish authorities have blamed on Syria. The trip is largely viewed as an opportunity to push the Obama administration into further action in Syria.
Erdogan sidestepped a question about what information on Syria he had shared with Obama during a private meeting before the press conference, but said the two sides were in agreement that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would have to step down.
“Chemical weapons and missiles, rockets that have been fired, all of that information is shared between the relevant bodies within our administrations,” Erdogan said.
“Let me tell you that ending this bloody process in Syria and meeting the legitimate demands of the people by establishing a new government are two areas where we are in full agreement with the US. We also agree that we have to prevent Syria from becoming an area for terrorist organizations. We also agree that chemical weapons should not be used,” he added.
The two-year old civil war in Syria has killed at least 80,000 people according to figures from the United Nations (UN). The UN General Assembly approved a resolution on Wednesday supporting Syrian opposition forces, condemning Assad’s use of force against civilians, and calling for a political transition in a vote backed by the United States but rejected by Russia as “irresponsible.”
Obama expressed his condolences to the people of Turkey for what he called an “outrageous” attack, but said there is “no magic formula for dealing with an extraordinarily violent and difficult situation like Syria.”
“We continue to try to mobilize the entire international community to put more and more pressure on Assad so that he recognizes he is no longer legitimate and he needs to go… and we are able to move to a political transition in which the institutions inside of Syria are still functioning but we have a representative, multi-ethnic, multi-religious body that can bring about democracy and peace inside of Syria,” Obama said.
