Syrian state-run daily calls Obama move a retreat

A Syrian state-run newspaper says that President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Syria marks "the start of the historical American retreat".

A Syrian state-run newspaper says that President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Syria marks "the start of the historical American retreat".

In a front-page editorial on Sunday, the Al-Thawra daily says Obama's reluctance to carry out strikes against Syria stems from his "sense of implicit defeat and the disappearance of his allies".

It also says the US president worries about limited intervention turning into "an open war has pushed him to seek Congress' consent".

Al-Thawra is a government newspaper and its editorials reflect the thinking of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

After days of buildup, Obama unexpectedly announced on Saturday that he would ask Congress to support a strike punishing the Assad regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons.