U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that he would put the strike against Syria on hold if the Syrian government hands its chemical weapons over to international control.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C. on Aug. 9, 2013. [Xinhua]

In interviews with a number of TV networks, the president welcomed Russia's proposal to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control, saying it is a "potentially positive development," and could lead to a "breakthrough" on the crisis, but warning the proposal shouldn't be used as a stalling tactic.

Obama said he preferred to solve the Syria crisis through a diplomatic solution rather than launch a military attack.

"(Secretary of State) John Kerry and the rest of my national security team will engage with the Russians and the international community to see can we arrive at something that is enforceable and serious," said Obama.

During the interviews, Obama also said he remains skeptical that Syria will turn over its chemical weapons, and would take the statements coming out of Syrian government officials in support of the Russian proposal "with a grain of salt."

The president also said his administration will engage in talks with Russia and Syria. "We're going to run this to ground," he said during an interview with CNN, one of the six networks that interviewed him Monday afternoon.

"We don't want just a stalling or delaying tactic to put off the pressure that we have on them right now," he told NBC.

Obama also said the proposal is actually not new to him, as he had been talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin about such a settlement, including during the G20 summit last week in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the proposal earlier in the day, urging Syria to "place its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control so they can be destroyed."  

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moualem welcomed the proposal, "Syria welcomes Russian initiative proceeding from Russian leadership's care of safety of our people and country."

The western countries have been accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons on August 21 which the U.S. said killed more than 1400 people.

The Syrian government denied the allegations and blamed the gas attack on the rebels.

The Obama administration has been pushing for a military strike against Syria to punish its use of chemical weapons.  

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)