Washington:
President Barack Obama is pledging that he won't deploy ground combat troops or wage a prolonged air campaign against Syria.
In his nationally televised speech Tuesday seeking public support for a possible military strike against President Bashar Assad's government, the president also promised he would not pursue an open-ended military action. (
America is not the world's policeman: full text)
Obama said he realized that many Americans were weary of military action after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the limitations he was imposing on the potential strike would ensure against the U.S. sliding down a slippery slope into another prolonged war.
Obama made his remarks as U.S. officials explore whether a Russian proposal to put Syria's chemical weapons under international control might work, and as the administration seeks congressional support for an attack.