As international leaders meet in Saint Petersburg for a G20 summit, the world awaits to see what, if anything, will be done about the crisis in Syria. The pressure is on for Obama, as the US president continues to push for military intervention, while Putin has threatened to send a missile shield to Syria if the US goes ahead without the green light from the UN.
It is an increasingly grim scenario, with the UK Parliament shutting the door on intervention, China joining Russia in the opposition stand, and Putin standing his ground against military action. The Russian president, who’s hosting the summit, first ignored the allegation that Assad forces carried out a chemical weapons attack on August 21, and has since warned that any act without the approval of the UN would be an act of “aggression”. Continue reading
THE VIEW FROM BEYOND 