Free Republic

China warned on Thursday that military intervention in Syria would hurt the world economy and push up oil prices, reinforcing Vladimir Putin's attempts to talk U.S. President Barack Obama out of air strikes. The rift over Syria could overshadow a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and developing economies in St. Petersburg at which global leaders want to forge a united front on growth, trade, banking transparency and fighting tax evasion. The club that accounts for two thirds of the world's population and 90 percent of its output is divided over issues such as turmoil in emerging markets...

"I didn't set a red line. The world set a red line," Obama said in Stockholm, referring to international rules banning the use of chemical weapons, even in case of war. "My credibility is not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line and America and Congress's credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important."