An seemingly off-hand comment by US Secretary of State John Kerry has, for the time being, defused the potentially explosive situation. Obama has been constrained from initiating an attack on Syria.
If, and when Syria signs on the dotted lines of CWC, it will mean an tacit acceptance of pandering to chemical weapons. A charge that it has denied uptill now.
The policy initiative has saved Obama from being a cornered in a tight spot. The Nobel Prize Winner President has been spared from action that would have taken from him a wee bit of pacifist sheen. Also he would have faced domestic resistance, from a war-fatigued nation.
The Senate action has been put off till now. This has given manoeuvre space to Syria and its allies. But a lingering of concrete action can offer Syria a chance to freeze the status quo. Which the world ill affords.
The sad part of the whole episode was that UN was humiliatingly sidelined. Now boldened by the move UN has asked for stern action against Syria. ( if the charges are proved ).
As if on cue, Russia had grabbed the policy initiative from Kerry's comment, and had formulated a plan of action. It held that Syria should allow its chemical weapons' stockpile to be monitored and destroyed by a UN sactioned team.
Which means that Syria will have to sign in with CWC. Then it would have to allow Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW to inspect, and destory the chemical weapons, if it finds it them.
Uptill now, seven nations including India, US, Japan, Russia, Libya have signed themselves into this agreement.
The policy initiative has saved Obama from being a cornered in a tight spot. The Nobel Prize Winner President has been spared from action that would have taken from him a wee bit of pacifist sheen. Also he would have faced domestic resistance, from a war-fatigued nation.
The Senate action has been put off till now. This has given manoeuvre space to Syria and its allies. But a lingering of concrete action can offer Syria a chance to freeze the status quo. Which the world ill affords.
The sad part of the whole episode was that UN was humiliatingly sidelined. Now boldened by the move UN has asked for stern action against Syria. ( if the charges are proved ).
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