NYT editorial: The Syrian Pact

[ProSense]

The Syrian Pact

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The United States-Russian agreement to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal is remarkably ambitious and offers a better chance of deterring this threat than the limited military strikes that President Obama was considering.

Even so, the task of cataloging, securing and destroying President Bashar al-Assad’s poison gas cache — which Washington and Moscow have estimated at 1,000 tons — is daunting. It will require vigilance and commitment by the United Nations, with success ultimately dependent on the cooperation of Mr. Assad, whose forces are responsible for most of the 100,000 deaths in the brutal civil war, including what the United States says were more than 1,400 deaths in a chemical attack in August...The world won’t have to wait long to see if the deal, announced by Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, will get off the ground...Syria is required to provide a “comprehensive listing” of its chemical arsenal, including the types and quantities of poison gas, and storage, production and research sites within a week. The agreement also requires “immediate and unfettered” access to these sites by international inspectors, with the inspections to be completed by November. Also by November, equipment for mixing and filling munitions with chemical agents must be destroyed. All chemical weapons and related equipment are to be eliminated by the first half of 2014.

<...>

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has undoubtedly elevated his stature in the Middle East with this diplomatic move. But he is now on the hook as he never was before to make sure that Mr. Assad does not use chemical weapons. Now that Mr. Putin has drawn a line at poison gas, if he continues to to supply Mr. Assad with conventional arms, which have killed the vast majority of Syria’s civilian victims, it would be cynical and reprehensible.

President Obama deserves credit for putting a focus on upholding an international ban on chemical weapons and in setting aside military action at this time in favor of a diplomatic deal. The Syria crisis should demonstrate to Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, that Mr. Obama, who has held out the possibility of military action against Iran’s nuclear program, is serious about a negotiated solution. Mr. Obama’s disclosure that he had indirectly exchanged messages with Mr. Rouhani was encouraging.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/opinion/the-syrian-pact.html

[BumRushDaShow]

1. K&R

[ProSense]

2. Kick! n/t

[ProSense]

3. Another. n/t

[Cha]

4. Hey, the NYT is giving PBO some

credit..

"President Obama deserves credit for putting a focus on upholding an international ban on chemical weapons and in setting aside military action at this time in favor of a diplomatic deal. The Syria crisis should demonstrate to Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, that Mr. Obama, who has held out the possibility of military action against Iran’s nuclear program, is serious about a negotiated solution. Mr. Obama’s disclosure that he had indirectly exchanged messages with Mr. Rouhani was encouraging."

I'll say PBO put FOCUS on Assad's Chemical Weapons.. Ya thnk?!

Turns out it is our "business".. and stupid sarah palin can get back to fighting the freaking lawsuit against her for trying to profit off 9/11.

[ProSense]

6. Exactly. n/t

[pampango]

5. "Bashar al-Assad’s poison gas cache — which Washington and Moscow have estimated at 1,000 tons..."

And which some top Syrian and Russian officials publicly denied existed until quite recently.

[MNBrewer]

15. Other than to act as a mechanism for deflection, what difference does it make?

[Iliyah]

7. K & R

I'll personally give BHO credit for exposing to the world "Assad's" lethal chemical weaponries. His administration threatened with air strikes and Russia who is allied with the Syrian government saw that BHO does not play, see OBL . . .

[sheshe2]

8. K&R

[ColesCountyDem]

9. Props to you, Mr. President!

[Scurrilous]

10. K & R

[blm]

11. Kerry and Lavrov were working since early this year on this....

Obama and Putin knew the score. Assad's foolish chemical attack gave them plenty of room to maneuver and to leverage Assad from both directions.

[Skraxx]

12. When was the last time a threat of force was used so judiciously and effectively?

I suspect this will go down in the books as this generation's Cuban Missile Crisis.

[blm]

13. Had more noticed what Kerry and Lavrov have been up to all this time

fewer would be surprised at this outcome.

Of course, the quietness probably helped in the long run, though the clueless, lazy minded media and armchair quarterbacks sure did take their potshots at both Kerry and Obama.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kicked and recommended, I hope it works.

A negotiated cease-fire would be most helpful.

Thanks for the thread, ProSense.

[zipplewrath]

16. Wishful thinking

The NYT may be indulging in some wishful thinking:

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has undoubtedly elevated his stature in the Middle East with this diplomatic move. But he is now on the hook as he never was before to make sure that Mr. Assad does not use chemical weapons. Mr. Putin has drawn a line at poison gas, but it will be cynical and reprehensible if he continues to supply Mr. Assad with conventional arms, which have killed the vast majority of Syria’s civilian victims.

I wouldn't hold my breath hoping that Putin decides to stop arming Assad. Putin has limited influence in the region and isn't going to easily give up Assad. Putin had some self interest here, mostly in that he has his own terrorist problems and didn't want those weapons in their hands any more than we want them in Al Queada's.

Obama/Kerry dodged a bullet here and came out with a very good result. I wouldn't put any more "demands" upon their accomplishment. It is good enough just as it is.