Posted on 09/09/2013 12:07:24 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
MOSCOW Syria on Monday quickly welcomed a call from Russia, its close ally, to place Syrian chemical arsenals under international control, then destroy them to avert a U.S. strike, but did not offer a time frame or any other specifics.
The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem appeared to mark the first official acknowledgement by Damascus that it possesses chemical weapons and reflected what appeared to be an attempt by Syrian President Bashar Assad to avoid the U.S. military attack.
But it remained to be seen whether the statement represented a genuine goodwill gesture by Syria or simply an attempt to buy time.
"Syria welcomes the Russian proposal out of concern for the lives of the Syrian people, the security of our country and because it believes in the wisdom of the Russian leadership that seeks to avert American aggression against our people," al-Moallem said during a visit to Moscow, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
However, al-Moallem, would not give any further details in his brief statement and didn't take any questions from reporters.
Moallem's statement came a few hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Assad could resolve the crisis surrounding the alleged use of chemical weapons by his forces by surrendering control of "every single bit" of his arsenal to the international community by the end of the week.
In Washington, U.S. officials said they would take a "hard look" at the proposal but doubted that Syria would carry out such a plan...
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Checkmate, Barry
Putin just checkmated Obama and Kerry.
RIGHTTTTTT
Putin 3 Buggery 0
Obviously, this could be huge. Securing those weapons would eliminate a great danger to the world, especially since they should not fall into the hands of al Qaeda.
Kerry sure stepped in it there.
Now the MSM will spend a week (or two hopefully) asking Kerry+CO why they dont take up the Russian/Syrian offer to avoid war.
Putin must be laughing at the nit-wits over here running foreign policy.
Great solution thanks to Russia. King Obama ass is saved again because if he ordered a strike impeachment would definitely happen. King Obama is a child like simple ass and the only thing he is good at is campaigning, vacations, and golf.
Checkmate? QUITE the contrary. This is the other shoe. It permits ODimwit to get out of this idiocy without consequence. Oh there will be some yelling in the blogsphere and among pundits, but it will be over. America won’t care and it will be forgotten.
While this is good news in that it will hopefully avert military action, it saves Obama’s hide.
Not only is it checkmate, but now Obama owes Putin big time.
More important it might give the world a chance to find out that they came from Iraq by the truckloads during the Iraq war.
The Emperor has no clothes!!!
It doesn’t save Obama hide imho. The fact that Obama didn’t explore diplomacy or other solutions while rushing to war is a HUGE NEGATIVE
You really think he is good at golf?
Like resign from office and his oafish VP too. To stay the course will result in nasty consequences that these lightweights would not want to get stuck with.
The only weapons that will go into international hands are the ones that Assad doesn’t hide.
He’s had plenty of warning, you can be darn sure he’s doing exactly that.
Am I the only one who sees the following in the article:
Moallem’s statement came a FEW HOURS AFTER U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Assad could resolve the crisis .........by surrendering control of “every single bit” of his arsenal to the international community by the end of the week.
Kerry will say this was obama’s idea and he’ll get credit for saving the world from WWIII.
More excuses, er, embellishments, er, push back to come from the White Hut in 3....2....1
Syria also produces it’s own chemical weapons along with whatever it got from Saddam.
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