Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a statement on the debate over Syria Monday that Bashar al-Assad's regime's "inhuman" use of chemical weapons demanded a strong international response led by the United States.
Yet, while President Obama is urging Congress to pass a resolution on taking military action against Assad, current Secretary of State John Kerry suggested Monday that Assad could avert that fate if he turned over his weapons, and Clinton agreed.
"Now, if the regime immediately surrendered its stockpiles to international control, as was suggested by Secretary Kerry and the Russians, that would be an important step," Clinton said. "But this cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction, and Russia has to support the international community's efforts sincerely or be held to account."
The State Department said later Kerry was speaking rhetorically.
