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| Obama Fails in Bid for Wide Backing for Syria Attack | |
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| STRELNA, Russia — President Obama raced home on Friday to confront one of the biggest tests of his presidency as he ramped up a campaign to persuade Congress to support airstrikes against Syria that many world leaders he had consulted declined to back. | STRELNA, Russia — President Obama raced home on Friday to confront one of the biggest tests of his presidency as he ramped up a campaign to persuade Congress to support airstrikes against Syria that many world leaders he had consulted declined to back. |
| After two days of lobbying that included a vigorous dinner debate that went into the early morning hours, Mr. Obama failed to forge an international consensus behind military action as other leaders urged him not to attack without United Nations permission. But he won agreement from some allies on blaming Syria’s government for a chemical weapons attack and on endorsing unspecified actions. | After two days of lobbying that included a vigorous dinner debate that went into the early morning hours, Mr. Obama failed to forge an international consensus behind military action as other leaders urged him not to attack without United Nations permission. But he won agreement from some allies on blaming Syria’s government for a chemical weapons attack and on endorsing unspecified actions. |
| The deep divisions on display here at the Group of 20 summit meeting raised the stakes even further for Mr. Obama as he seeks authorization from Congress for a “limited, proportionate” attack. He hoped to use the statement from allies condemning Syria to leverage more domestic support, but he acknowledged that he had a “hard sell” and might fail to win over an American public that polls show still opposes a strike. | The deep divisions on display here at the Group of 20 summit meeting raised the stakes even further for Mr. Obama as he seeks authorization from Congress for a “limited, proportionate” attack. He hoped to use the statement from allies condemning Syria to leverage more domestic support, but he acknowledged that he had a “hard sell” and might fail to win over an American public that polls show still opposes a strike. |
| Mr. Obama ordered aides to fan out in coming days with a series of speeches, briefings, telephone calls and television appearances to sway both Democrats and Republicans reluctant to get involved in yet another Middle East war. He also announced that he would address the nation from the White House on Tuesday evening to lay out his case before Congress votes. | Mr. Obama ordered aides to fan out in coming days with a series of speeches, briefings, telephone calls and television appearances to sway both Democrats and Republicans reluctant to get involved in yet another Middle East war. He also announced that he would address the nation from the White House on Tuesday evening to lay out his case before Congress votes. |
| “Failing to respond to this breach of this international norm would send a signal to rogue nations, authoritarian regimes and terrorist organizations that they can use W.M.D. and not pay a consequence,” he said at a news conference, using the initials for weapons of mass destruction. “And that’s not a world we want to live in.” | “Failing to respond to this breach of this international norm would send a signal to rogue nations, authoritarian regimes and terrorist organizations that they can use W.M.D. and not pay a consequence,” he said at a news conference, using the initials for weapons of mass destruction. “And that’s not a world we want to live in.” |
| The return to the Washington fray came after a tense overseas trip punctuated by an extraordinary showdown with the meeting’s host, President Vladimir V. Putin, who not only opposes a strike, but also dismisses the notion that Syria’s government gassed its own people. | The return to the Washington fray came after a tense overseas trip punctuated by an extraordinary showdown with the meeting’s host, President Vladimir V. Putin, who not only opposes a strike, but also dismisses the notion that Syria’s government gassed its own people. |
| During a long, late-night discussion about Syria, the two presidents effectively competed for the support of the other leaders, each man arguing his position and soliciting peers as if they were voters. At the end, Mr. Putin said a majority of the leaders joined him in opposing a military strike independent of the United Nations, including the leaders of China, India, Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Germany and South Africa. | During a long, late-night discussion about Syria, the two presidents effectively competed for the support of the other leaders, each man arguing his position and soliciting peers as if they were voters. At the end, Mr. Putin said a majority of the leaders joined him in opposing a military strike independent of the United Nations, including the leaders of China, India, Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Germany and South Africa. |
| “We hear each other and understand the arguments,” Mr. Putin said. “We simply don’t agree with them. I don’t agree with his arguments and he doesn’t agree with mine, but we hear and try to analyze.” | “We hear each other and understand the arguments,” Mr. Putin said. “We simply don’t agree with them. I don’t agree with his arguments and he doesn’t agree with mine, but we hear and try to analyze.” |
| The only members of the Group of 20 nations that supported Mr. Obama’s plan, the Russian leader said, were Canada, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, all of which were on Mr. Obama’s side when he arrived here on Thursday. | The only members of the Group of 20 nations that supported Mr. Obama’s plan, the Russian leader said, were Canada, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, all of which were on Mr. Obama’s side when he arrived here on Thursday. |
| Trying to counter the impression of isolation, the White House arranged for a joint statement including those allies as well as Australia, Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and South Korea condemning the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus. According to American intelligence agencies, the attack killed more than 1,400 people. | Trying to counter the impression of isolation, the White House arranged for a joint statement including those allies as well as Australia, Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and South Korea condemning the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus. According to American intelligence agencies, the attack killed more than 1,400 people. |
| “We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated,” the statement said. “Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable.” | “We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated,” the statement said. “Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable.” |
| The statement did not explicitly endorse military action, and some of the signatories, like Italy, have warned against an American strike. But Obama administration officials argued that those that signed understood they were backing the United States as it was preparing for military retaliation, and therefore effectively embracing it. | The statement did not explicitly endorse military action, and some of the signatories, like Italy, have warned against an American strike. But Obama administration officials argued that those that signed understood they were backing the United States as it was preparing for military retaliation, and therefore effectively embracing it. |
| Speaking with reporters before returning to Washington, Mr. Obama repeatedly declined to say whether he would abide by the Congressional vote if lawmakers reject his request to authorize the use of force against Syria. He acknowledged facing a difficult task to persuade Congress. | Speaking with reporters before returning to Washington, Mr. Obama repeatedly declined to say whether he would abide by the Congressional vote if lawmakers reject his request to authorize the use of force against Syria. He acknowledged facing a difficult task to persuade Congress. |
| “I knew this was going to be a heavy lift,” he said. “I was under no illusions when I embarked on this path. But I think it’s the right thing to do. I think it’s good for our democracy. We will be more effective if we are unified going forward.” | “I knew this was going to be a heavy lift,” he said. “I was under no illusions when I embarked on this path. But I think it’s the right thing to do. I think it’s good for our democracy. We will be more effective if we are unified going forward.” |
| The Syria dispute came to dominate the G-20 meeting, often focused mainly on economic matters, and underscored the difficulty Mr. Obama has faced with Mr. Putin in recent months. After Russia gave temporary asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who disclosed secret American surveillance programs, Mr. Obama canceled a separate one-on-one meeting with Mr. Putin in Moscow. | The Syria dispute came to dominate the G-20 meeting, often focused mainly on economic matters, and underscored the difficulty Mr. Obama has faced with Mr. Putin in recent months. After Russia gave temporary asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who disclosed secret American surveillance programs, Mr. Obama canceled a separate one-on-one meeting with Mr. Putin in Moscow. |
| But the two ended up talking on the sideline of the group session on Friday, mainly about their disagreement over Syria. Mr. Obama said Mr. Snowden’s case did not really come up. “It was a candid and constructive conversation, which characterizes my relationship with him,” Mr. Obama said. | But the two ended up talking on the sideline of the group session on Friday, mainly about their disagreement over Syria. Mr. Obama said Mr. Snowden’s case did not really come up. “It was a candid and constructive conversation, which characterizes my relationship with him,” Mr. Obama said. |
| For his part, Mr. Putin said the two leaders agreed to disagree during a friendly encounter on Thursday that lasted more than 20 minutes. | For his part, Mr. Putin said the two leaders agreed to disagree during a friendly encounter on Thursday that lasted more than 20 minutes. |
| He added that they did agree that Syria ultimately needed a political settlement, and that they delegated the matter to Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and Secretary of State John Kerry. In May, the two officials announced an effort to begin negotiations for a settlement in Syria, to be held in Geneva, but that effort has since stalled and now seems further away than ever. | He added that they did agree that Syria ultimately needed a political settlement, and that they delegated the matter to Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and Secretary of State John Kerry. In May, the two officials announced an effort to begin negotiations for a settlement in Syria, to be held in Geneva, but that effort has since stalled and now seems further away than ever. |
| The strongest support for Mr. Obama continued to come from President François Hollande of France. But even Mr. Holland has been under pressure in France to seek the widest possible approval at home and abroad before participating in military action, and on Friday he announced that France would await the findings of United Nations weapons inspectors who visited the site of the Aug. 21 attack. | The strongest support for Mr. Obama continued to come from President François Hollande of France. But even Mr. Holland has been under pressure in France to seek the widest possible approval at home and abroad before participating in military action, and on Friday he announced that France would await the findings of United Nations weapons inspectors who visited the site of the Aug. 21 attack. |
| “We’re now going to wait for the decision by Congress,” Mr. Hollande said, “then the inspectors’ report.” | “We’re now going to wait for the decision by Congress,” Mr. Hollande said, “then the inspectors’ report.” |
| Mr. Hollande offered no explanation for his decision to await the United Nations findings, the timing of which remain uncertain, but French lawmakers have in recent days increasingly called for him to do so. | Mr. Hollande offered no explanation for his decision to await the United Nations findings, the timing of which remain uncertain, but French lawmakers have in recent days increasingly called for him to do so. |
| Even as Mr. Putin ardently argued against an American-led intervention, Russia’s Navy continued preparations in the event of an attack. It has already dispatched at least four warships to the Mediterranean Sea, including three that passed through the Bosporus on Thursday, two landing ships and a destroyer. | Even as Mr. Putin ardently argued against an American-led intervention, Russia’s Navy continued preparations in the event of an attack. It has already dispatched at least four warships to the Mediterranean Sea, including three that passed through the Bosporus on Thursday, two landing ships and a destroyer. |
| Mr. Putin’s chief of staff, Sergei B. Ivanov, told reporters that the landing vessels were being sent in case it was necessary to evacuate Russian citizens from Syria. | Mr. Putin’s chief of staff, Sergei B. Ivanov, told reporters that the landing vessels were being sent in case it was necessary to evacuate Russian citizens from Syria. |
| Russia’s deputy defense minister, Anatoly I. Antonov, said Thursday that while the ships were “an attempt to deter other forces that are ready to launch military actions in the region,” they would not intervene against American and other NATO warships in the region. | Russia’s deputy defense minister, Anatoly I. Antonov, said Thursday that while the ships were “an attempt to deter other forces that are ready to launch military actions in the region,” they would not intervene against American and other NATO warships in the region. |
Scott Sayare contributed reporting from Paris. | Scott Sayare contributed reporting from Paris. |