29 minutes ago
Today has been another busy day in terms of diplomatic traffic, with reactions, discussions and pressers. Let's do a recap of where each of the relevant actors have said they stand:
Russia will send the United States details of a proposal to secure Syria's chemical weapons stockpile later Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.
Iran and China have said they support the Russian plan.
Syria has accepted the Russian proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control for dismantling. The Syrian foreign minister has recently appeared on TV where he said "Syria is ready to completely renounce its chemical weapons."
The United States: Obama will address the American people in a direct televised broadcast later today and by that time the White House will have had enough time to assess the viability of the Russian proposal. John Kerry testified before Congress earlier, where he continued to make the administration's case that a sustained threat of military action is necessary. But Russian President Putin has recently said their proposal is only possible if the US rejects force.
paranthesis about
the American people: A broad majority of Americans, exhausted by nearly a dozen years of war and fearful of tripping into another one, are opposed to a military strike on Syria, even though most say they think Syrian forces used chemical weapons against civilians, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
France said they were getting ready to introduce a draft resolution at the UN Security Council calling on Damascus to give up its chemical weapons, which Russia said they would oppose. But the UNSC consultations have just been postponed.
about an hour ago
Russian state news agency RIA reports that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said the following during his interview on Al Mayadeen channel:
With regards to the Russian initiative, Syria will completely renounce chemical weapons. Damascus agrees to declare the chemical weapons on its territory and completely cease their production.
Here's
the link to the article [in Russian].
2 hours ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Syrian chemical weapons handover plan will only work if United States rejects the use of force, Reuters reports.
"It all makes sense and can work if the US side and all those who support it renounce the use of force," he said according to Russian television.
this comes after news out of Washington DC that Obama would continue to press Congress to approve military intervention in Syria. The US has also said they will consider the Russian initiative but that the pressure of an intervention is essential to bring the Syrian regime to the negotiating table.
you're not dealing with someone informed here. gadafi didnt have chemical weapons. but its good to know where the general's public mind is.
lemme guess u just heard about gaddafi two years ago?