American President Barack Obama Accused of Syria Sell-out

DAILY EXPRESS: PRESIDENT Obama was yesterday accused of “giving way” over Syria just 24 hours after a US-Russia deal to strip the Arab state of its chemical weapons.

Syria must give full details of its chemical stockpile within a week and allow it to be destroyed by the middle of next year.

Senior Syrian minister, Ali Haidar, hailed the deal as a “victory”. He said it “averted a war against Syria by removing the pretext for those who wanted to unleash one”.

And in Washington Mr Obama’s critics claimed he had lowered his guard, with Republican chairman of the House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, leading the charge. » | John Ingham | Monday, September 16, 2013

Syria: West Vows to Increase Backing for Rebels

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain, France and the United States agreed to strengthen the Syrian opposition and increase pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to respect a deal to give up his chemical weapons arsenal to avoid military action.

But Russia warned that talks between the three powers in Paris on a “strong” United Nations resolution on Syria could wreck peace efforts.

Britain, France and the US agreed that Assad would face “serious consequences” if he fails to comply with a UN resolution setting out a timetable for the handover of Syria’s chemical weapons to international control, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said at a joint press conference.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said the allies were committed to keeping up the pressure on Assad following a deal between the US and Russia on the handover of Syrian chemical weapons reached in Geneva on Saturday.

"If the Assad regime believes that this is not enforceable and we are not serious, they will play games...The military option is still on the table,” he said. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Monday, September 16, 2013

Syrie : Paris menace Damas »

Syria: Assad Cannot Be Trusted On Any Chemical Weapons Promises, Says His Former Diplomat

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bashar al-Assad cannot be trusted on any promises over chemical weapons and it will be a decade before the world can be confident they are out of his reach, one of his former senior diplomats has warned.

Khaled al-Ayoubi said he had no faith in Russia leading the international efforts to make the Syrian dictator's lethal stockpile safe.

Mr al-Ayoubi, who defected in the UK last year when he was the most senior Syrian diplomat in the London embassy, said his former masters in Damascus will appear to be agreeing to changes but will delay and stall.

He warned it could be ten years before there will be any confidence that the weapons are safe, allowing Assad crucial time to hide some.

Mr al-Ayoubi said: "Assad will say he is signing an agreement but how do we know he will comply?

"I know how the regime works and they will drown us in process and procedure. They will say they want to decide which observers are appointed and use other delaying tactics.

"It will be 10 years before they are dealt with."

He said the Russians could not be trusted either and accused President Vladimir Putin of being willing himself of using chemical weapons in the past. "They are manipulating the political language to waste time," he said. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Syrian War a Contest between Saudi Arabia & Iran - Ex UN Chief Arms Inspector

US military strikes are being held back and may not take place at all, in no small part thanks to Russia. But, is it a progress in a war that has already cost so many lives? Or are we back to square 1? About this and more we ask our guest Hans Blix, who worked as the UN's Chief Weapons Inspector at the time Iraq was accused of having weapons of mass destruction and and invaded as a result.

Mark Alexander: What’s Really Going On at the Top Concerning Syria? » | Sunday, September 08, 2013

Rick Santorum on Obama's Handling of Syria Crisis

Former presidential candidate sounds off

Assad Sets Out His Terms for Chemical Weapons Convention

BBC: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has spoken about placing its chemical weapons under international control and said that the US must "stop threatening us and supplying terrorists with weapons".

Speaking on Russian TV's Rossiya 24, he said that only Russia could make the agreement happen as "Syria has neither contacts with, nor trust in, America".

US and Russian foreign ministers are preparing to meet in Geneva to discuss the plan, proposed by Moscow this week.

The US accuses the Syrian regime of killing hundreds in a chemical attack. Watch BBC video » | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Syria Will Hand Over Its Chemical Weapons, Says Bashar al-Assad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bashar al-Assad has said he will place Syria's chemical weapons under international control in line with a proposal from Russia.

The Syrian president, speaking to Russia's Rossiya 24 state news channel, denied however that US pressure had anything to do with the decision to surrender the arsenal.

“Syria is transferring its chemical weapons to international control because of Russia,” he said in an interview the Rossia 24 television channel. “The threats of the United States had no influence on the decision to put the weapons under [international] control.”

In excerpts released by the channel on Thursday afternoon, he added that Syria is sending the United Nations documents for preparing the agreement on the weapons.

The full interview is expected to be broadcast later this evening. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow, Damien McElroy in Geneva and Ruth Sherlock in Beirut | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Listening Post: Déjà vu in Syria

As the media talks of WMDs and calls for intervention, have journalists already forgotten the lessons from Iraq?

Geneva Set for Syria Disarmament Talks

US Secretary of State to meet Russian counterpart to discuss how UN can secure and destroy Assad's chemical weapons.

Chemical Weapons: 'Easy to Make and Disperse, Impossible to Get Rid Of'

Anyone with a few years of training in chemistry and access to some freely available raw materials could easily produce chemical weapons like sarin gas, chemical weapons expert and Rice University professor James Tour told RT

Op-Ed Contributor: A Plea for Caution From Russia

What Putin Has to Say to Americans About Syria
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — RECENT events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders. It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.

Relations between us have passed through different stages. We stood against each other during the cold war. But we were also allies once, and defeated the Nazis together. The universal international organization — the United Nations — was then established to prevent such devastation from ever happening again.

The United Nations’ founders understood that decisions affecting war and peace should happen only by consensus, and with America’s consent the veto by Security Council permanent members was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The profound wisdom of this has underpinned the stability of international relations for decades.

No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is possible if influential countries bypass the United Nations and take military action without Security Council authorization.

The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance.

Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy, but an armed conflict between government and opposition in a multireligious country. There are few champions of democracy in Syria. But there are more than enough Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes battling the government. The United States State Department has designated Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, fighting with the opposition, as terrorist organizations. This internal conflict, fueled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition, is one of the bloodiest in the world.

Mercenaries from Arab countries fighting there, and hundreds of militants from Western countries and even Russia, are an issue of our deep concern. Might they not return to our countries with experience acquired in Syria? After all, after fighting in Libya, extremists moved on to Mali. This threatens us all. » | Vladimir V. Putin | Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Inside Story: Will Syria Give Up Its Chemical Weapons?

As Obama considers Russia's non-military proposal for Syria, we ask if a diplomatic solution is still feasible.

'Rebels Had Motive to Carry Out Chemical Weapon Attack in Syria'

President Assad was not behind a chemical weapon attack last month - the rebels carried it out as a provocation. That's what a letter sent to Barack Obama from former US intelligence and military officials says - citing their own security sources. It was signed by twelve ex-officials. Former US Army Judge Advocate Todd Pierce is one of them and joins RT right now.

'Diplomatic Chaos: Obama in Weak Position, Nation Split'

It looks like President Obama is toning things down after weeks of bombastic statements and threats that the Syrian government deserves a U.S. strike. In an address to his nation - which according to recent polls is against America getting involved into a brand-new war - he agreed to give way to diplomacy first.
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 The prospect of America's strike against Syria has revealed deep public and political chasms within the U.S. - putting president Obama in a very uncomfortable position. That's the belief of Manuel Ochsenreiter - who's been extensively writing on the matter.

Related »

Putin: Syria Chemical Arms Handover Will Work Only If US Calls Off Strike

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Syria's chemical arms handover will only work if the US and its allies renounce the use of force against Damascus

Inside Story: Why Intervene in Syria Now?

We ask why, when bullets and bombs have killed tens of thousands, it took an alleged chemical attack to inspire outrage.

Talk to Al Jazeera: Peter Singer: A Moral Case for Intervention?

The controversial philosopher shares his views on the use of chemical weapons and a military strike on Syria.

WIKI: Peter Singer »

Syria Welcomes Russia's Call to Handover Chemical Weapons

Syria has agreed to Russia's proposal that it put its chemical-weapon stockpiles under international control. US Secretary of State John Kerry initially suggested such a scheme - as a way to avoid a military strike on Syria. The US State Department, though, has since issued an apparent retraction, saying it wasn't a genuine offer

Obama Backs Russia's Chemical Handover Proposal, May Shelve Syria Strike

President Obama is willing to "absolutely" put on pause a military strike on Syria if Bashar Assad accepts Russia's proposal to hand over control of the country's chemical weapons to the international community

Syria Welcomes Proposal on Chemical Weapons

Russian foreign minister says he urged Syria to surrender its chemical weapons if it would help avert military strikes.