SYRIA

U.S. Reviews Military Options

Russia says Assad wants to end violence.

CNN reports the Pentagon has begun a review of what military options the U.S. has in the event President Obama decides to intervene in Syria. U.S. policy, the sources say, still remains focused on nonmilitary options. Syrian leaders received a visit from Russia’s foreign minister Tuesday as other nations continued to distance themselves from the country. Syria has been racked by internal conflict for the past 11 months as a popular revolt has sought to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The Arab League and the United States, among other nations, have put forward plans for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, asking Assad to relinquish some of his executive powers. After his meeting with the president, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country also supported a bloodless resolution and that Assad had indicated that "he is fully committed to an end to violence, no matter its source.”