An Associated Press source reports that U.S. President Barack Obama has agreed to a United Nations discussion of Russia’s proposal regarding chemical weapons in Syria. Russia proposed Syria’s chemical arms be put under international control.
Damascus has welcomed the proposal as an alternative to a U.S. strike, reports the Jerusalem Post, but President Bashar Assad has not officially accepted it. The State Department has said, according to the Post, “We can’t have this be another stalling tactic.”
Secretary of State John Kerry said after a meeting with British officials Monday that the United States may hold off on a strike if Assad signs the Chemical Weapons Convention and surrenders his arsenal.
The White House official spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as the official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Obama discussed the plan with French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday.
France is proposing a resolution in the U.N. Security Council to force Syria to reveal its chemical weapons arsenal and place it under international control.
Obama is set speak to Americans Tuesday night in a public address preceding a Congressional vote on a military strike on Syria.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
