US President Barack Obama’s decision to delay possible military action in Syria while it is debated by Congress could “embolden” the forces of President Assad, an opposition group says.
Mr Obama said the US could not turn a blind eye to the use of chemical weapons
Syrian National Coalition spokesman Louay Safi called the decision a “failure of leadership” by the US.
Government forces resumed shelling of opposition-held parts of Damascus as Mr Obama finished speaking on Saturday.
Syria denies US charges that its army used chemical weapons in August.
The US says 1,429 people were killed in chemical attacks by the Syrian army on 21 August.
The US president had said that such attacks would be a “red line”, prompting US intervention in Syria.
On Saturday, Mr Obama said any action would be limited, ruling out a ground invasion, but he has sent the US Congress draft legislation seeking approval for the use of force as he “determines to be necessary and appropriate” to prevent the Syrian government from carrying out chemical weapons attacks.
Congress is due to reconvene on 9 September, meaning any military operation would not happen until then.
The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen in the Syrian capital, Damascus, says there is some relief in the city among those who feared that US attacks could start this weekend.
He says the delay could give the government time to move some sensitive military equipment.
The shelling of opposition-held areas of the city late on Saturday was a possible act of defiance by the army, our correspondent says.
Mr Safi, spokesman for the main opposition grouping, said he was disappointed with Mr Obama’s announcement.
“Our fear now is that the lack of action could embolden the regime and they repeat his attacks in a more serious way,” he told CNN.
There has been no official statement since Mr Obama’s announcement but CBS quotes Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil as saying: “If the US has postponed its decision, or retreated… this invites ridicule from all sides.”
In other developments:
- Foreign ministers from the Arab League are to discuss Syria at a meeting in Cairo, amid deep splits on the issue
- Opposition members in France – a key US ally – have urged President Francois Hollande to seek a formal vote before joining Washington in any military operation in Syria
- UN inspectors who have been investigating the attacks have arrived in the Netherlands with samples from site visits. They say the testing could take up to three weeks
BBC
