US and Russia reach deal on Syria weapons

[dez]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/09/2013914102758488772.html

Damascus is given one week to declare its stock of chemical weapons as part of a plan to eliminate its arsenal.

Syria has been given one week to declare its stock of chemical weapons, and the country must immediately allow in international inspectors, US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks in Geneva with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.



Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Saturday, after the third day of intense negotiations, Kerry said that arms inspectors should be on the ground in Syria by November with the goal of eliminating the country's chemical weapons by mid-2014.

[Geiseric]

This might be because of the lack of support for an invasion, it seems like a sort of compromise in order to save face on the part of Obama.

[to the left]

or its the last chance before a invasion

[ckaihatsu]

What will also be interesting to see is how much leverage *Assad* feels he has, to extract conditions for Syria from the deal -- such as a full stand-down of the U.S. military and a cessation of all threats.

Obama's 'pinprick' statement was unsettling and inappropriate, given this multiparty initiative going forward.

[A.J.]

Has to be viewed as a humiliating climbdown as far as the Americans are concerned.

Also, I wonder if France were ever consulted when Kerry was trying to cut a deal with the Russians?

[KurtFF8]

I would say the next move by the US will be the exact same as Bush's with Iraq: eventually claim (without evidence) that Syria is violating this treaty/UN deal and attack anyway

[Os Cangaceiros]

arms inspectors should be on the ground in Syria by November with the goal of eliminating the country's chemical weapons by mid-2014.

LOL good luck with that

[EdvardK]

They /US/ will find a cassus beli to attack anyway. It's been like this with other countries, starting with Grenada & Panama (Reagan) and going on with every president since.

[ckaihatsu]

We have to acknowledge that the U.S. war machine is no longer being driven by the neocon bunch -- the empirical reality is that popular opinion is actually *registering* within the administration instead of being ignored. (Plus Syria may be too big a target, compared to Libya, and there's no 9-11 hysteria now.)





Has to be viewed as a humiliating climbdown as far as the Americans are concerned.

Also, I wonder if France were ever consulted when Kerry was trying to cut a deal with the Russians?


And, from another Syria thread:





[...]

Might well be that US unilateralism is at a stand still.