Hillary Clinton: Chemical weapons offer 'an important step'

Russia has asked Syria to put its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control and then to have them destroyed, in an attempt to stave off US military strikes.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her first remarks on Syria since US President Barack Obama pushed for US military action, said if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were to accept such a move, it would be an "important step".

But Mrs Clinton said, "This cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction."