Obama to discuss way forward on Syria at G8 conference

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After authorizing for the first time sending U.S. weapons to Syrian rebels, President Barack Obama is set to discuss how to help end Syria's civil war when he attends the G8 conference in Northern Ireland next week, the White House said on Friday.

Obama will discuss U.S. evidence that President Bashar al-Assad's forces have used chemical weapons - what the U.S. president has called a "red line" in the two-year-old civil war - and what to do next, the White House said.

"This is a fluid situation, so it's necessary for him to consult with all the leaders at the G8 about both our chemical weapons assessment and the types of support we're providing to the opposition," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's national security spokesman.

"He'll be discussing with those leaders what the best way forward is. He'll hear from them what their plans are," Rhodes told reporters at a White House briefing.

Obama has authorized sending U.S. weapons to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

Obama also will meet privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the meeting, Rhodes said. Russia has backed Assad and has accused the Syrian opposition of using chemical weapons. The United States and Russia are trying to arrange diplomatic talks to try to find a political settlement in Syria.

"There are no illusions that that's going to be easy," Rhodes said, although he held out hope the two leaders could find common ground.

"What Russia has articulated to us, and publicly, is that they don't want to see a downward spiral, they don't want to see a chaotic and unstable situation in the region, they don't want to see extremist elements gaining a foothold in Syria," Rhodes added.

In Moscow, Putin's senior foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said information that the United States has given Russia about suspected use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces "does not look convincing".

Ushakov also said more U.S. military support for Assad's opponents would undermine joint efforts to bring together Syrian government and opposition representatives for peace talks.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Laura MacInnis and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-discuss-way-forward-syria-g8-conference-171657172.html

ellsbury brad pitt and angelina jolie brad and angelina herniated disc luke scott tom benson royals