President Obama says it is important to solve the ongoing crisis in Syria without military action. Obama told NBC’s Today show that his administration has been “relentless” in demanding that Syrian President Assad step aside, according to the AP.
The president’s remarks come after China and Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the 11-month-old crisis. The UN estimates that the crisis has claimed more than 5,000 lives.
CNN reports that the State Department on Monday closed its embassy in Syria and pulled out its remaining staff.
