War Hawk Barack Obama Backs off ‘Red Line’ … Opens Door for Diplomatic Solution (UPDATE: Syria says it accepted Russian Weapons Proposal)

HUGE OBAMA ABOUT FACE …

So let’s Understand Barack Obama’s foreign policy diplomacy on Syria and the “red line”. First Obama called for an immediate attack on Assad Syria for using chemical weapons. Obama called for the International community to go all in and strike Syria. Obama could garner no International support and domestic support here at home was non-existent. All the while as it looked like Congress would vote no on any military strike, Obama still held out that he did not need their permission and he could do it alone. Then on a lark, Sec. of State John Kerry said that if Assad gave up all his military weapons, he could prevent a strike. Now we learn that Assad may just take Kerry up on his offer. HUH? What happened to war hawk Obama’s absolute military strikes against Syria? It would now appear that Obama has changed his mind once again.

President Obama will address the nation Tuesday night to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria, with the debate in Congress over a possible military strike effectively on hold as the president backs away from the “red line” and opens the door to a “diplomatic track.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has postponed a test vote originally teed up for Wednesday. That decision came as the president said in an interview with Fox News that he’s open to negotiations on an alternative plan that could avert a military strike.

Reid cited “international discussions” in postponing the vote to advance debate on the resolution authorizing the use of force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Reid said it was not important to, “see how fast we can do this,” but rather “how well we can do this.”

The possible breakthrough pertains to a proposal, floated by Secretary of State John Kerry and then formally put forward by the Russians, to have the Assad regime turn over its chemical weapons to international control. Obama, in an interview with Fox News on Monday, opened the door to pursuing that option.

This is just head scratching that US foreign policy could have been handled so ineptly. In spite of his actions, we may actually avoid an even greater military conflict in the Middle East. The sad reality is that Putin is running circles around the novice President Obama.

UPDATE I: Obama: Strike ‘Absolutely’ on Hold if Syria Abandons Chemical Weapons.

UPDATE II: Syria says it accepted Russian weapons proposal.

UPDATE III: Syria says it “welcomes” Russian proposal to place chemical weapons under international control.

Syria on Monday quickly welcomed a call from Russia, its close ally, to place Syrian chemical arsenals under international control, then destroy them to avert a U.S. strike, but did not offer a time frame or any other specifics.

The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem appeared to mark the first official acknowledgement by Damascus that it possesses chemical weapons and reflected what appeared to be an attempt by Syrian President Bashar Assad to avoid the U.S. military attack.

However, can the deal be trusted?