http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/09/06/joint-statement-syria
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 06, 2013
Joint Statement on Syria
The Leaders and Representatives of Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America made the following statement on the margins of the Group of 20 Nations Leader’s Meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia:
The international norm against the use of chemical weapons is longstanding and universal. The use of chemical weapons anywhere diminishes the security of people everywhere. Left unchallenged, it increases the risk of further use and proliferation of these weapons.
We condemn in the strongest terms the horrific chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21st that claimed the lives of so many men, women, and children. The evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime.
We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated. Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable.
Signatories have consistently supported a strong UN Security Council Resolution, given the Security Council’s responsibilities to lead the international response, but recognize that the Council remains paralyzed as it has been for two and a half years. The world cannot wait for endless failed processes that can only lead to increased suffering in Syria and regional instability. We support efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.
We commit to supporting longer term international efforts, including through the United Nations, to address the enduring security challenge posed by Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles. Signatories have also called for the UN fact finding mission to present its results as soon as possible, and for the Security Council to act accordingly.
We condemn in the strongest terms all human rights violations in Syria on all sides. More than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, more than 2 million people have become refugees, and approximately 5 million are internally displaced. Recognizing that Syria’s conflict has no military solution, we reaffirm our commitment to seek a peaceful political settlement through full implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communique. We are committed to a political solution which will result in a united, inclusive and democratic Syria.
We have contributed generously to the latest United Nations (UN) and ICRC appeals for humanitarian assistance and will continue to provide support to address the growing humanitarian needs in Syria and their impact on regional countries. We welcome the contributions announced at the meeting of donor countries on the margins of the G20. We call upon all parties to allow humanitarian actors safe and unhindered access to those in need.
European signatories will continue to engage in promoting a common European position.
Kerry Loses Cool Making Pitch for Syria Action to MSNBC
MSNBC host Chris Hayes (“All In w/ Chris Hayes”) joins Martin Bashir moments after his exclusive interview with Secretary of State John Kerry to report on why Kerry believes rebels opposed to the U.S. in general could be empowered absent U.S. military action – and how the administration plans to convince Democratic grassroots opposed to military strikes. 6 Sep 2013, 6:40 AM PDT
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Syria_9
Brief legislative maneuvering by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today sets up a huge week in Congress next week on Syria military force authorization:
2 sens on hand for filing of #Syria resolution on the floor. ML Reid will file. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) to preside over abbreviated session
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 6, 2013
FOX News congressional reporter Chad Pergram is tracking the process on Twitter and laying it out in long-form here (read the whole thing for a detailed breakdown of legislative arcana that may come into play), but it boils down to a tactic by Reid to ensure that Syria authorization comes before the full Senate as soon as possible next week once the summer recess ends on Monday. At that point, assuming Rand Paul or other senators prevent the resolution from moving forward via unanimous consent, a cloture petition, passable with a 60-vote supermajority in the 100-member Senate, will be needed to proceed. Pergram sees such a cloture vote happening on Wednesday at the earliest, which happens to be September 11th.
From there, it is difficult to speculate given the potential for fireworks and unexpected turns in the Senate debate. It is even more difficult to see a path for the resolution through the House, suggesting that the Obama administration’s best strategy may be betting on momentum from Senate passage to sway the lower chamber.
However, as Richard Simon reports in a must-read LA Times story, formidable House Minority Leader Pelosi faces a vote-recruiting challenge unlike those of previous triumphs:
Pelosi says she is not using high-pressure tactics such as those that helped her eke out a victory for the president’s healthcare plan.
“I haven’t asked one person for a vote,” she said in the Thursday interview. “I’ve asked them to consider the intelligence and to give us their views on what they might be willing to vote for.
“This is not one of those things where you can talk people into something. All you can do is supply them the information and hope they draw the conclusion that you wish.”
With a number of her longtime liberal allies against a strike — or leaning that way — the coming days could be some of the toughest for Pelosi since she assumed control of her famously fractious party a decade ago. In effect, she is caught between the president’s wishes, a fractured Democratic caucus and the traditionally antiwar sentiments of her San Francisco base.