NBC晚间新闻 外交途径能解决叙利亚问题吗（在线收听）

Will diplomacy work in Syria?

外交途径能解决叙利亚问题吗？

President Obama asks congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force in Syria while he purses the diplomatic path proposed by Vladmir Putin; to put Syria’s chemical weapons under international control and destroy them. But will this work? NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports.

奥巴马总统要求国会推迟关于向叙利亚采取军事制裁的授权投票，同时他反对普京提出的通过外交途径解决取得对叙利亚化学武器的控制权并摧毁这些武器。但是这能解决问题吗？NBC的Andrea Mitchell报道。

Good evening. The next moving pieces on Syria appear to be in place tonight and the story changed again today after the American people witnessed a rare event last night -- a primetime address to the nation by the president that wasn't what he intended to say originally. It was originally designed to make his case to attack Syria for using chemical weapons. That appears to be on hold. So is the vote in congress. now we see in if diplomacy works while the president is still making it clear he believes the use of chemical weapons cannot stand, the question tonight is how to possibly secure them all. Prior to departing with secretary of state john kerry for the diplomatic talks in geneva, our chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell starts us off tonight.

reporter: Tough words from the president.

Let me make something clear. The United States military doesn't do pinpricks.

reporter: But unusual for a presidential address to the nation, no call for action.

I have therefore asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path.

reporter: The diplomatic path Vladimir Putin's proposal to put Syria's chemical weapons under international control and destroy them. But even if an agreement is reached at the UN, can it work? The Syrian chemical arsenal is scattered. This satellite shows a suspected depot, bunkers ring the periphery.

It is a war zone at the moment. A very bitter, difficult civil war is happening. And to do this sort of thing of destroying chemical weapons in place is gonna be hugely difficult.

reporter: The president is sending secretary of state John Kerry tonight to Geneva to test whether Russia is serious.

This cannot be a process of delay, this cannot be a process of avoidance. It has to be real.

reporter: What's in it for Putin? Protecting Russia's naval base on the Mediterian in Tartous in Syrian territory. Keeping the chemical weapons away from Islamic terrorists in place s like Chechnya. Resserting Russia's role in Middle East diplomacy and keeping Assad in power. But critics say the president's zig zags have given the US a weak hand.

I think we'll have a crippled negotiating team walking into the room where Putin holds all the cards on getting rid of chemical weapons.

reporter: And Putin is already flexing his muscles at the UN where leading security council members met after a Russia blocked resolution supported by the US, France and Great Britain that would preserve the military option if the Assad regime doesn't comply. And there is the challenge at home. Most Americans like these of the Skokie, Illinois, public library want to avoid military action.

We continue have these wars, another war after another.

We need to spend the money in the United States and forget about the Middle East.

I just don't want to hear emotional arguments. Because I think it is to manipulate us.

reporter: The question the president has not answered, what will he do if diplomacy fails? Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington.