US Senators' Draft Backs Limited Action in Syria

A Free Syrian Army fighter is seen through a hole in a wall of a building in Aleppo on September 3. Photo by CNN

US senators in a key committee have agreed on a draft resolution backing the use of US military force in Syria.

The measure to be voted on next week sets a time limit of 60 days on any operation. The draft document also bans the use of any ground forces in Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the US had to act after the Assad regime's "undeniable" chemical weapons attack.

The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, endorsed Mr Obama's call for military action.

According to a copy of the draft resolution obtained by AFP news agency, the senators wish to restrict the operation to a "limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria".

The resolution states that "the president may extend" a 60-day operation "for a single period of 30 days" if he obtains further specific Congressional approval.

"The authority granted... does not authorise the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations," the statement added.

The BBC's North America Editor Mark Mardell in Washington says it is by no means the definitive motion, but it is a strong indication of the way committee members are thinking.

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