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                 Kerry Warns Sends Stern Warning to Iran, Syria

   by VOA News

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is sending a stern warning to both
   Iran and Syria, telling the governments of both countries they will
   have to embrace change or suffer the consequences.
   Kerry spoke Monday during a news conference with British Foreign
   Secretary William Hague in London, the first stop of his first foreign
   trip as U.S. secretary of state.
   Kerry reminded Iran the U.S. will not allow the country to obtain
   nuclear weapons and warned the window for a diplomatic solution would
   not remain open indefinitely, though he added "it's open today."
   Kerry also condemned the recent bombing of Aleppo by the Syrian
   government and said the Syrian people deserve better than the horrific
   violence that they have been subject to under the regime of President
   Bashar al-Assad.  Kerry said the U.S. remains committed to a political
   solution in Syria but that the Syrian opposition, which has been
   looking for more international support, "is not going to be left
   dangling in the wind."
   ''Kerry also said the U.S. is taking allegations by Afghan President
   Hamid Karzai about torture and abuse in Maidan Wardak province
   seriously.
   Kerry said the International Security Assistance Force is investigating
   and emphasized the U.S. has "listened very carefully" to many of
   Karzai's concerns.
   Karzai has given U.S. Special Forces two weeks to leave Maidan Wardak
   province, West of Kabul, citing the allegations.  An ISAF spokesman
   said Monday the accusations are unfounded.
   London is just the first stop on Kerry's trip through Europe.  He is
   set to meet with other leaders in Germany, France, Italy, Turkey,
   Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
   While in Berlin, he is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart,
   Sergei Lavrov.  Washington and Moscow have divergent stances on how to
   deal with Syria, and bilateral relations have cooled over U.S. plans to
   build a missile defense system in Europe.
   The State Department says that in Paris, Kerry will discuss
   Washington's ongoing cooperation with France and other countries in an
   effort to stabilize Mali, the African country plagued by an Islamist
   insurgency.
   In the Middle East, Kerry will meet with top Arab League officials to
   discuss challenges in the region and seek greater consensus on how to
   solve them.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-warns-iran-and-syria/1610276.html