On the same day President Obama is expected to address the American public about a potential military strike on the Assad regime in Syria, a White House official said the the U.S. commander in chief agreed to discussions at the United Nations Security Council, involving Russia's proposal to secure the Arab leaders' stockpiles of chemical weapons, the Huffington Post reported.
President Obama discussed with French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron concerning the proposal offered by Russia, Assad's main weapons supplier, which may put together a resolution in the U.N. Security Council, forcing the Arab state to make public its chemical weapons program before placing it under international control and to then dismantle it.
"The [U.S.] President spoke separately with President Hollande and Prime Minister Cameron," an email to the Huffington Post read on Tuesday.
"They agreed to work closely together, and in consultation with Russia and China, to explore seriously the viability of the Russian proposal to put all Syrian chemical weapons and related materials fully under international control in order to ensure their verifiable and enforceable destruction. These efforts will begin today at the United Nations, and will include a discussion on elements of a potential UN Security Council Resolution."
The U.S., France and Great Britain accused Bashar al-Assad's government of using chemical weapons multiple times during the country's civil war, including on August 21, which officials said killed more than 1400 innocent victims instantaneously.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed support for the proposal, and China's Foreign Ministry said it will "safeguard stability" in the region. Details of the proposal, such as how long to move would take, were not released.
U.S. lawmakers who have been proponents of striking Syria expressed a glimmer of interest to the proposal.
"I'm very, very skeptical. But the fact is, you can't pass up this opportunity -- if it is one," McCain said on CNN.
Secretary of State John Kerry said "we're waiting for that proposal," but we're not waiting for long," while speaking at the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
It may just be a stalling tactic, after all, officials warned.
On Monday evening, the U.S. President called Russia's idea a "potentially positive development," in an interview with CNN.
"We're going to run this to the ground. [The U.S. will work] to see if we can arrive at something that is enforceable and serious," adding this may be a stalling tactic by the Russians and the Assad government. "If we can accomplish this limited goal without taking military action, that would be my preference. On the other hand, if we don't maintain and move forward without a credible threat of military pressure, I don't think we'll actually get the kind of agreement I'd like to see," he said.
Nearly two weeks ago, President Obama opted to seek Congressional approval before authorizing a military strike on Syria, claiming that the use of chemical weapons is a complete breach of acceptable norms in warfare.
Assad's televised appearance with Charlie Rose on Monday night was marked with defiance. "There has been no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people," he said. Assad warned that if there was a military strike by the U.S. there would be retaliation by his government, and its allies.
Nonetheless, in regards to the proposal, "Things are moving rather quickly," Ban Ki Moon's spokesman Martin Nesirsky said on Tuesday.
"The Secretary General welcomes [the developments]... we are in touch with a lot of key member states pabout it]."
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