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STORY: President Barack Obama told the American people he has decided in favor of military action against Syria but will ask Congress to vote on the matter, saying he believes the nation should be able to debate the issue.
"I've long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might but in our example as a government of the people and for the people," Obama said from the White House Rose Garden on Saturday.
Obama had insisted on Friday that he had made no final determination on whether to launch an attack against Syrian government targets, but on Saturday there was a sense that plans might be advancing amid a flurry of meetings and consultations.
His remarks were prepared after his top national security advisers gathered at the White House for talks, including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Secretary of State John Kerry and Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
They were to give senators an
