On capitol hill senator are speaking out about whether to authorize strikes on chemical weapons in syria. Members of the house heard from the secretary of state behind closed doors, he wants congress to hold syria accountable. As Congress Considers the options, newly released polls show the u. S. Strike against syria is losing ground, but russia has offered up an 11th u. S. Military action. And syria is demanding the u. S. Prove its chemical weapons acquisition. But we begin with president obama tonight. Mike viqueira joins us from the white house. Mike . They call it the bully pulpit and wih good reason. The president did a round robin interview today. He laid out his case. Many of the themes and points we are likely to hear in that address tomorrow night, we understand it will be the east room. But everything on hold at the time being, john. That after the Russian Foreign minister put forward the proposal after meeting bilaterally with the syrian Prime Minister to gather up these chemical weapons, gather them and destroy them. The president reacted to that today, and told everyone that the congressional vote process is going to be on hold until this gets ironed out. I dont anticipate that you would see a succession of votes this week or any time in the immediate future, and so i think there will be time during the course of the debates here in the United States for the International Community to work with us, to see if there is a p cbs aired an interview with assad. He said if a military strike were to go forward, he said, quote, expect everything in retaliati retaliation. Assad doesnt have a lot of capability. He has capability relative to children. He has capability relative to a an opposition that is still getting its a organized and are not professional trained fighters. He doesnt have a credible means to threaten the United States. His allies, iran and hezbollah, could potential engage in asemimat try call strikes against us, but the kind of threat they would pose against us are typical with the kinds of threats we are dealing with around the world, which are embassies being threatened, u. S. Personnel in the region. Those are threats that we deal with on an ongoing basis. And john the president says he is not taking his foot off of the gas. There have been dinner, and closed door briefings. The president makes a relativel rare trip to capitol hill tomorrow, and all day long, john, we saw a consistent stream, a parade, really of house members coming in for their briefing. But what we do know at this hour is it is all on hold. They dont want that members to walk on a vote they really didnt want to take to begin with. What else can the president say tomorrow night . Well, he has very high confidence is the phrase we have heard, that not only chemical weapons were deployed but the assad regime is responsible for that. Hell talk about the example that needs to be said not only for the assad regime but for other actors. So the one thing that is different, john, really is this will be a prime time audience. You see the white house embarking on this strategy, quite apparent. They are trying to reach as many voters as they possibly can to try to turn the tide. All right. Mike, thank you very much. As mike mentioned very much, Al Jazeera America will cover the president s address live tomorrow night at 9 00. Following the speech there will be a live townhall meeting. We have paul covering the senate debate, but first lets go to libby casey. What are you hearing after the briefing, libby . There are two potential Game Changers in place. They are hearing a lot of the same words from the Obama Administration, so as members filtered out, they didnt have a lot new to say, what they did say was they are going to wait and see looking at this deal that the russians are trying to craft. If you think of this as a hot potato, the president tossed it into the lap of congress, Congress Might get a chance to toss it away if a diplomatic incentive could be reached. So everything could change. One important member to watch a democrat of Washington State who is a top democrat on armed services, said he will consider all of the information but he is not committing to anything just yet. There are still questions about this hold, about how were going to hold assad accountable. What the plan is Going Forward after a strike, how little impact syria . The question is how will a member of Congress Like that bode . My colleague has been covering the other side of capitol hill paul . Libby, thank you. Thats right. As you said, hot potato. This is a vote that nobody on capitol hill wanted. As you mentioned those poll numbers, americans being less supportive of a strike in syria. But harry reid said a vote was on track for wednesday, but over the course of the day you could feel momentum build as this proposal came out of russia. We have tried diplomacy. We have gone to the United Nations on many occasions, and time. Notwithstanding russias belated offer today to take action, which may only be on the table specifically, specifically because of the threat of the use of force senator Robert Menendez there. Chair of the committee that offers up the use of military force, really giving the white house credit to bring russia and syria to this point. Paul, since russia has made this proposal, most of the congress and senator would just as soon vote on this at all . As you know, senator reid saad no vote before thursday. And president obama says he doesnt expect anything to happen this week, so this may be the escape valve that everybody was looking for. And thats what they are talk about tonight in the halls of congress, correct . Correct. Thats expectly right. Yes, give me an idea what would happen, how long we would have to wait. I think with senator reid saying no vote before thursday, again, its going to depend on the back and forth to russia. The International Body that would oversee the gathering and destruction of this process. And this gives everybody a chance to catch their breath. And senator reid originally promising a final vote on the measure before the end of the week. All right. Paul thank you very much. Joining us now is john garamendy, sorry for me mispronunciation. Not a problem. Give me a sense of what you did you heard anything new . I heard a lot. Really the most important thing is what you were just talking about and that is this russian overture. This is really, really important. It really gives peace a chance, and not only to avoid this aerican attack, but it also gives the country and the people and the region an opportunity lets be very hopeful here, an opportunity for those chemical weapons to be contained, to be secured, and eventually disposed of. This is really the path we have got to travel. Let me just push back a little bit on you here. Sure. I understand the whole idea is to get rid of the chemical weapons, but someone and possibly the president of syria used chemical weapons against those people, shouldnt there be some retaliation for that . The real good retaliation is to deny him future chemical weapons. This is really an opportunity yes, it was horrible. Yes, it was absolutely terrible, criminal, all of those things, but where do we go from here . What are the next steps . What does the future hold . The future may hold a syria with no chemical weapons. Thats great for syria. The civil war could be negotiated as a result of this. This is a may major opportunity to make it happen. And no punishment for assad . I didnt say that. I said we have to take this opportunity to get rid of those chemical weapons. The civil war may get settled with negotiations, but it may continue on in the bloody way it has over the last several years, but put the chemical weapons aside, and that denies him of these weapons he has used perhaps a dozen times, and he wont have that available to him. And that is good for the syrian people. So russia has given the unted states a way out you would say . I would say russia has made a very, very good and important overture, and we should recognize that, and the United States, together with russia, the eu, and the entire world ought to say lets move with this. Lets make this happen. I understand that the United Nations leader jumped on that and said thats good. Lets move with this. And the rest of the world should say the same thing, because this may be a very important opportunity to get out of the way these chemical weapons. We know there have been other countries in the middle east that had them. To get serious chemical weapons out of the way, thats good for the entire region. Good for russia, congratulations. Thank you for doing so. Lets move with it. I understand our president has said lets move with this. Well be watching. Thank you very much, we appreciate. Thank you. Syrias president said if president obama strikes syria, he will only be helping al qaeda. Assad denied his regime launched a chemical weapons attack. Our police, our institutions, dot exist, how can you talk about what happened if you dont vef dense. Were not like the american administration. Were not social media administration, our government. This war is against the interests of the United States. Why . Because [ inaudible ] this war is going to support al qaeda and the same people that kill americans in the 11th of september. Joining us now is ambassador to syria, former ambassador to syria, he served in the country when assads father was president , ambassador, welcome. Its good to see you. Good to see you. Good to be with you. You can hear me. Yes, i can. Terrific. Give me your reaction to the russian proposal. Well, its a game changer on the eve of the administration making an allout effort to justify a limited military strike because of the use of chemical weapons in syria, all of a sudden this Diplomatic Initiative brings a pause button into play to determine whether its verifiable, whether its real, whether it can be carried out in an effective manner and under International Supervision. If all of that occurred, i think this is a very positive development, and i would hope it would be an example of a u. S. russian cooperation and collaboration over this incredibly difficult crisis in in syria. But, again, it should not be this Russian Initiative should not become a formula for just dely and inaction. It would have to be structured in a way where Forward Movement on dismantling syrias chemical weapons and putting them under International Supervision is verifiab verifiable, real, and done in a proper fashion. Ambassador i dont understand how we can be sure this is not a delay tactic. Well, we cant. And thats why we have to go into this with our eyes wide open. I think the fact that the United States made a preliminary decision to for the president to possibly opt for military action in syria because of the cw issue, really focused the International Community, and certainly focused the syrian regime, and focused russia on what the consequences of this would be, and therefore, the russians played a very Important Role in bringing this proposal forward. In my eyes, this is something only russia could have done because of its very special relationship with syria, which dates back to the 1950s, the close relationship between the soviet union and syria, but there are ways under International Control to inspect, identify, verify, the storage and then the shipment and or destruction of chemical weapons, but if the process is real, if if this is a real deal, this all can be done. Well, we will have to see whether or not it is done. Ambassador it is good to talk to w you tonight. Thank you for joining us. Lets take a look at the chemical weapons capability. Jair is believed to have one of the largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the middle east. The Syrian Government has more than a thousand tons in chemical agents. These chem sk chemicals inclu sarin and vx gas. And they are capable of using missiles of up to 300 miles. Russia has come up with a diplomatic alternative. James bayes as the international reaction. A flurry of responses was prompted by these comments. Sure he can turn over all of his weapons to the International Community in the next week, turn it over all of it without delay and allow a total accounting for that, but he isnt about to do it. The state Department Later said kerrys ultimatum was just a rhetorical flourish. But it was picked up by russia. Translaor john kerry made an announcement stating the attacks on syria could be avoided if damascus hands over all of his chemical weapons we dont know if syria will do that, but if they will, well work with them to achieve that. Reporter and then this man reportedly welcomed the proposal, but its far from clear whether that means the regime could agree. The next of event was in new york. Im considring urging the Security Council to demand the immediate transport of syrias chemical weapons to places inside of syria, where they can be safely stored and destroyed. If syria says yes to transferring its stocks, how quickly can you, the un take control of those stocks . What is the time frame . I think that is the proper way for syria to do. Agree to this proposals. Then im sure that the International Community will have very swift action. Plus syria must agree to this. The un secretary general makes it sound simple, but even if syria hands over its chemical weapons, there are still mayor hrdles ahead. No one knows exactly how many chemical weapons the assad regime possesses. The experience of un weapons teams in iraq over a decade ago is also worth recalling. Saddam hussein played cat and mouse with the un for years. There will be many who believe that assad might use the transfer of his chemical weapons as a storing tactic. James bays, al jazeera, of the United Nations. And coming up next, former secretary of state weighs in on the crisis. As you know, this is a fluid situation with statements from russia, syria, and others in the last several hours. Plus the reason some opposition groups in syria dont want to see the u. S. Attack against the regime they are Hillary Clinton has spoken out publicly on the crisis in syria for the First Time Since stepping down as secretary of state. She says if syria turns over its stockpile that would be an important step. But she was cautious as well. This cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction. And russia has to support the International Communitys efforts sincerely or be held to account. The opposition fighting syrias civil war is made up of a variety of groups with different backgrounds and goals. Those include fighters linked to al qaeda. They have been keeping a low pro file lately waiting to see what the white house decides. Reporter these are the men the Obama Administration doesnt want to see in power, and they know it. And thats why they are maintaining a low profile. It seems that western powers have decided to also take advantage of this unique opportunity to destroy some of the rebel groups against whom they have a certain ambivalence. Reporter so far the u. S. Has not said any of those groups would be targed but their presence worry some in congress. U. S. Secretary of state john kerry has put syrias fractured opposition into two camps, the good guys and the bad guys. Basically that means groups linked to al qaeda, and brigades that fall under the supreme military council. This man heads the moderate opposition. The Obama Administration argues military intervention would help put his forces in a place of power. That may not be that easy. Groups not allying with either side view such efforts with skepticism and feel the aim is to serve a western agenda. Translator any attack against al qaeda and other groups will be considered an attack against us, because these people came to syria to help us. It is up to us to decide how to handle any group that is harming our country. Reporter they are a loose alliance. Some blame the International Community for failing to give the moderate forces the support they needed early on. These bad guys were allowed to take root, largely because foreign countres didnt move fast enough. Clearly there are those who are suspicious of the Obama Administrations intentions, especially since u. S. Officials say the objective of military action is not to bring down the regime or tip the balance enough for the bad guys to prevail. Two state lawmakers in colorado are fighting to hold on to their seat. A look at the competing National Interest pouring money into a recall election because of guns. Plus the choices new yorkers v in a primary vote for mayor. Welcome back to al jazeera, im john siegenthaler. Here are the top stories. Russia is offering an alternative solution to the syrian crisis. Its syrians chemical weapons to be placed under International Control and destroyed. The foreign minister approves the idea. John kerry said syria could avoid a situation if it turns over his chemical weapons by the end of the week. Its possible if its real. And i think its certainly a positive development when the russians and the syrians both make gestures towards dealing with these chemical weapons. President obama is calling the proposal a potential break through. During interviews with u. S. Television networks today, the president says he remains stepty call. According to the latest