TURKEY: Syrians talking to Reuters at the Turkish border give their reaction to the possibility that United States and allies could intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war.

Record ID: 274435

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrians talking to Reuters at the Turkish border give their reaction to the possibility that United States and allies could intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war.
  • Date: 1st September 2013
  • Summary: CILVEGOZU, TURKEY (SEPTEMBER 1, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TURKISH OUTPOST AND A TANK VARIOUS OF CONTROL TOWER ON BORDER VARIOUS OF CILVEGOZU BORDER GATE ACROSS SYRIA'S BAB AL HAWA CROSSING SYRIANS CROSSING THE BORDER INTO TURKEY TURKISH FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN CITIZEN, ABU MAHMOUD, SAYING: "This is an international matter. They didn't do anything for three year
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEXDFDJYJ4T5G275KXQ6SG3CZX
  • Story Text: Syrians, talking to Reuters at the Turkish border, were critical of any proposed U.S. strike against Syria's embattled president on Sunday (September 1) as President Barack Obama said he would seek congressional consent beforehand.
    A Syrian citizen, Abu Mahmoud, who had just crossed into Turkey, said: "This is an international matter. They didn't do anything for three years. We are surprised they decided to do something now. It will not help Syrian people. Our hope is only God."
    Another Syrian citizen, Soner, added: "We want the regime to be toppled but we want this to happen without international interference. We want help from international community to ouster the regime ourselves. We want to do that, we don't want anyone else to do it."
    Obama said on Saturday (August 31) he has decided to launch a military strike against Syria in reaction to its alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians but he will seek congressional consent beforehand.
    With the announcement the United States is expected to strike the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad not within days as was widely expected but in mid-September at the earliest.
    Leading members of Congress have already agreed to hold a debate on the matter and will take a vote once they return from their summer recess on Sept. 8, Obama said.
    Leading lawmakers of both Democratic and Republican parties discussed the Syrian issue with Obama on Saturday and House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner plans to hold a congressional debate on the matter in the week starting Sept. 9.
    Obama made the announcement two days after the British parliament voted down a proposal by Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain join the United States in the envisioned attack on Syria.
    Obama said on Saturday that the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons against people in its own country is an assault on human dignity and also presents "a serious danger to our national security."
    The U.S. government said on Friday it concluded at least 1,429 people, including 426 children, were killed in the poison gas attacks by the Assad regime on Aug. 21 in the Damascus suburbs.
    Obama reiterated the duration and scope of the envisioned military action will be "limited" and he has no plans to deploy ground forces in the Middle Eastern country, which has been wracked by a two-year-old civil war.
    The United States earlier provided Syrian rebels with non-lethal military supplies and said in June it could provide more military support for them, accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons against the rebels last year.
    The Syrian government has denied use of chemical weapons.
    Syrian deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil said on a television program the Syrian government is on constant alert to military action against it and is "committed to react."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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