Officials: US, Russia disagree on Syria strategy

Officials: US, Russia disagree on Syria strategy

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NEW YORK — The U.S. and Russia are disagreeing on how to respond to the situation in Syria, where the Obama administration wants a strong U.N. condemnation of Bashar Assad's regime and the Kremlin is seeking continued dialogue.

U.S. officials said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the U.S. case in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday in New York. They said she told Lavrov that the U.N. Security Council must speak out against the Assad regime's "inexcusable violence."

But the officials said Lavrov presented a counterview, calling for dialogue between Assad and the opposition.

The Obama administration already has given up on Assad's pledges of reform and has called for the Syrian leader to step aside.

The officials spoke about the private meeting on condition of anonymity.