Obama Faces Strong Opposition on Syria At G20 Summit
U.S. President Barack Obama has confronted strong opposition from leaders worldwide against launching a military attack on Syria.
Reuters reports that Mr Obama had to focus on Syria at the G20 summit which had been supposed to hold discussion on global economy. However, it appears like the summit is going to be used more for exchanging opinions on America's suggested military attack on Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a dinner to welcome representatives of the G20 nations in St. Petersburg, the former capital of the country. The summit was originally intended to hold discussions on developing a united force on reviving economic growth.
However, the national representatives seem to be strongly divided in two distinct groups on the issue of a military attack on Syria by the U.S. government. Mr Obama sported an inflexible smile while approaching Mr Putin who had opined harshly over the past few weeks against the U.S. approach to the Syria conflict.
The summit started with the BRICS' disapproval of the proposed military attack on Syria. The BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Zhu Guangyao, the vice finance minister of China, said that the proposed military assault would have a negative influence on the global economy. He said that the military action would instigate further hike in oil price.
President Barack Obama faced further opposition in the form of Pope Francis who represents 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world. The pope stated in a letter that the pursuit of a military solution would be futile. He warned that there would be severe dangers awaiting the world if the Obama government proceeded without the U.N. Security Council's approval.
Meanwhile, European Union leaders stated that the Syrian conflict would not be solved through a military strike even though the chemical attack on civilians in Syria was considered to be "abhorrent".
On the contrary, Mr Obama seems to be an unlikely contender to get influenced by a difference of opinion. He has already shown enough signs to anticipate a stronger response from him. He is expected to ask for support at the dinner table no matter how unlikely it seems to find a consensus. The U.S. president is also expected to approach the American people directly through a TV address as soon as he goes back to his office after the G20 summit.
Video source: YouTube/AlJazeeraEnglish