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                    US Officials Press Case for Syria Strike

   President Barack Obama`s top diplomat and defense officials are set to
   testify before a Senate panel Tuesday on his request to authorize U.S.
   military action in Syria.
   Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the
   Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey are all
   due to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
   Mr. Obama has said he wants congressional approval before launching a
   military strike on Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons against
   civilians.
   White House officials are continuing to hold closed-door sessions
   briefing lawmakers in a bid to rally support for Mr. Obama`s plan.
   Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham said they were encouraged after
   meeting with the president on Monday, but that they want to see some
   changes to the proposal. McCain expressed the need to weaken Syrian
   President Bashar al-Assad`s capabilities while upgrading those of the
   rebels opposing him.
   Also Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will brief
   members of the Security Council on the latest developments in Syria.
   Mr. Ban has met with the head of a U.N. inspection team that was in
   Syria last week collecting samples from the chemical attack last month
   on civilians near Damascus. That attack killed at least 1,400 people.
   The samples were sent to labs on Monday for analysis.
   Meanwhile, Mr. Assad denies his military was responsible for the use of
   chemical weapons, saying the United States and France have no proof to
   back up their allegations. In an interview with the French newspaper Le
   Figaro, he warned that a military strike by those countries could start
   a regional war.
   Russia, a long-time Syrian ally, has also questioned the credibility of
   U.S. evidence that the Assad government used chemical weapons on
   civilians.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-officials-press-case-for-syria-str
   ike/1742099.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-officials-press-case-for-syria-strike/1742099.html