Thursday's Syria Crisis Updates: Pope Francis appeals to world leaders to avoid 'futile' Syria strike

As world leaders gathered Thursday for a G-20 summit in Russia, Pope Francis urged them to pursue a negotiated end to Syria’s civil war and abandon the “futile pursuit of a military solution.”

“It is regrettable that, from the very beginning of the conflict in Syria, one-sided interests have prevailed and in fact hindered the search for a solution that would have avoided the senseless massacre now unfolding,” the pope said in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is hosting leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in St. Petersburg.

“To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution.”

The pope made his plea as President Obama was seeking to rally international support for punitive strikes against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad for an alleged chemical attack last month on pro-rebel suburbs of Damascus. Keep reading

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