In Syria, Obama is following Bush: Former UN official

Former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday says US President Barack Obama is following in the footsteps of his predecessor George W. Bush for waging war on Syria.

“The issue facing us today is that the Americans seem ready to attack Syria with or without congressional support under Obama, very much like Mr. Bush in 2003 attacked Iraq,” he told Press TV on Wednesday.

“And any attack on Syria today without the support of the UN Security Council would of course be violation of international law and particular of the UN charter itself,” said Halliday, who was a UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq.

“It’s absolutely clear and simple,” Halliday said that like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bush who violated international law by invading Iraq, “Mr. Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, is going down the same route as commander-in-chief and president of the United States.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Obama repeated allegations that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in the last month’s attack.

“We believe that chemical weapons were used,” Obama said during a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt in Stockholm on Wednesday.

The US president also appeared certain he would gain congressional authorization for his strike plan for Syria.

“I believe that Congress will approve it,” Obama said when asked what he would do if Congress rejects his call for action.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to consider a revised bill on Wednesday authorizing a military strike. An authorization would set a 60-day deadline for the use of military force in Syria, with the possibility of one 30-day extension.