Congress Receives White House Draft Resolution On Syria [VIDEO]

An aide to House Speaker John Boehner says the speaker's office has received a White House draft of a resolution authorizing President Barack Obama to use military force against Syria.

The draft follows through on Obama's decision, announced Saturday, to seek congressional approval for a strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. Congress returns Sept. 9.

The resolution lays out the administration's claim that the regime killed more than 1,000 last week in a chemical weapons attack. It says the objective of a U.S. military response would be to "deter, disrupt, prevent and degrade" the regime's ability to use chemical weapons going forward.

The resolution authorizes Obama to use the military as he determines "necessary and appropriate" to serve that goal.

The draft doesn't lay out a timeline for action. But it does say only a political settlement can resolve the Syrian crisis.

Syrian state-run daily calls Obama move a retreat

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A Syrian state-run newspaper says that President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Syria marks "the start of the historic American retreat."

In a front-page editorial Sunday, the Al-Thawra daily says Obama's reluctance to carry out strikes against Syria stems from his "sense of implicit defeat and the disappearance of his allies." It also says the U.S. president worries about limited intervention turning into "an open war has pushed him to seek Congress' consent."

Al-Thawra is a government newspaper and its editorials reflect the thinking of President Bashar Assad's regime.

After days of buildup, Obama unexpectedly announced on Saturday that he would ask Congress to support a strike punishing the Assad regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons.

Pope announces day of fasting, prayer for Syria

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is asking people to join him next weekend in a day of fasting for peace in Syria.

Francis invited people of all faiths to join him Saturday evening in St. Peter's Square to invoke the "gift" of peace for Syria, the rest of the Middle East and worldwide where there is conflict.

Declaring "no more war," Francis spoke to tens of thousands of people gathered in the square on Sunday.

He says the "world needs to see gestures of peace and hear words of peace." He says that only dialogue, and not armed intervention, can end Syria's civil war.

The five-hour-long prayer vigil in the square Saturday will last until midnight.

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