Obama does not foresee US ground troops in Syria
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E-mail Xinhua, May 4, 2013
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US President Barack Obama speaks at a joint press conference with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla after a bilateral meeting, at the National Cutural Center in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, on May 3, 2013. [Xinhua] |
![US President Barack Obama speaks at a joint press conference with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla after a bilateral meeting, at the National Cutural Center in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, on May 3, 2013. [Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130504/001aa0ba3c6a12eeb42b05.jpg "US President Barack Obama speaks at a joint press conference with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla after a bilateral meeting, at the National Cutural Center in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, on May 3, 2013. [Xinhua]")
Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday he does "not foresee" sending U.S. ground troops to war-torn Syria.
"I do not foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria -- American boots on the ground. (It) would not only be good for America but also would be good for Syria," Obama said at a joint news conference in the Costa Rican capital with his Costa Rican counterpart Laura Chinchilla.
Obama is in San Jose to attend the May 3-4 summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which drew together leaders of Central America and regional powers of the Americas.
Obama also said that some Mideast leaders in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's departure also agreed with his assessment that Washington should not send ground troops to Syria.
He said his country is "actively engaged" with the search for a solution to the crisis in Syria.
Obama has said during his visit in Mexico earlier that the U.S. government is still evaluating all steps to act on the conflict in Syria, after his Defense Minister Chuck Hagel said that the opposition is reconsidering giving weapons to the rebels.
"What Secretary Hagel said is what I've been saying for months, we continue to assess the situation on the ground," Obama said during a press conference in Mexico City with his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto.
He said so far the United States is providing "non-lethal assistance" to the Syrian opposition and refuses to give them weapons for fear that they may fall into the hands of terrorist groups.
Obama has marked the use of chemical weapons as a "red line" that would make him reconsider the military option in Syria, but urged caution Tuesday and said he will wait to have on hand "facts" precise about it before making a decision.
On Thursday, Hagel said in Washington the U.S. administration is rethinking its previous opposition to arming Syrian opposition.
"You look at and rethink all options," Hagel said. "It doesn't mean you do or you will. These are options that must be considered with partners, with the international community, what is possible, what can help accomplish these objectives."
However, Hagel said the administration hasn't come to a conclusion yet on the topic.
More than 70,000 people have been killed in the two-year-old Syrian conflict, according to UN figures.
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