You have to understand that given the lack of a US Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean, and the existence of Five Destroyers (with 480 Missile Launchers) , any American attack would be limited. The Introduction of Russia vessels, meant that for the US Destroyers to stay, they had to have some anti-Ship Missiles and Anti-Aircraft missiles (And some anti-Submarine missiles) among those 480 launchers (or if the ships did have nothing by Cruise missiles, hold some back to give the impression the US Destroyers had some anti-Ship Missiles, Anti-Aircraft missiles, and some anti-Submarine missiles.
As the news of the alleged Chemical Attack came out, the USS Harry S Truman was in the Mediterranean on its way to relieve the USS Nimitz in the Persian Gulf. The Harry S Truman went through the Suez Canal and relieved the USS Nimitz as Obama was announcing his decision that something should be done. At that point the Joint Chief of Staff told Obama of what could be done Militarily at that time, and in a week. In a week, the Nimitz could be sent to the Mediterranean on its way back home to Everett Washington (its home port) and on the way back home be the main base for any attack on Syria. Tell then, all that could be fired on Syria were Cruise Missiles from US Destroyers on Patrol in the Mediterranean (Total number Five). Each destroyer can carry 96 missiles but that can be Cruise Missiles, Anti-Ship Missiles, Anti-Aircraft missiles or anti-Submarine missiles (Thus the 480 total missiles).
With the Nimitz you have its escorts and their missiles (but these tend to have more defensive missiles, i.e, Anti-Ship, Anti-Air and Anti-Sub missiles) then free standing ships, for as escorts they could rely on the Carrier and its Aircraft to hit targets on land.
Thus till the Nimitz entered the Mediterranean, the option Obama had were limited. Russia and Iran saw this delay as a way to get a message to Syria to turn over its Chemicals to them (or the UN) so that any attack by the US would be seen NOT as an attack on Chemical Weapons under UN control, but an attack on Syria. The Syrian Government agreed to this offer to avoid an attack.
Thus Putin and Iran has put Obama on the Spot. Syria has decided to give up control of its Chemical weapons, thus removing any pretext that the use of such weapons justifies an attack on Syria. If Obama does order an attack, it is clearly to help the Rebels NOT to punish Syria for using Chemicals.
Remember, the US did not complain of past use of Chemicals by regimes we were supporting (The Chemical attacks by Saddam in Iranian Troops and on the Kurds in the 1980s are the classic examples) but will use the claim of such weapons to justify an attack the US wants to do anyway (The US claims of Chemical Weapons retained by Saddam when the US invaded Iraq in 2002).
Sorry, this is Putin's and Iran's doing (Probably more Iran's then Putin's), to force Obama either to back down, or go forward with the attack, an attack that will clearly show that the US want to change who is ruling Syria NOT to punish Syria for using Chemical Weapons. It was announced as US forces reached a level large enough for an effective attack on Syria tells me Iran told Assad that it was a now or never situation, i.e. announce giving up Chemical Weapons or face a full scale US attack, an attack Iran could not help them with. I suspect Putin told the Syrian's the same story.
On the other hand, if Obama does launch an attack, both Putin and Iran can now claim that the attack was NOT an attack on a user of Chemical Weapons, but an attempt to change who rules Syria, and such an attack violates Nuremberg and other post WWII treaties that set up the UN and present international law. Such a claim by Putin and Iran could be used to cut off Oil Shipments to any Nation that supports the US. Given Russia is the second largest NET oil exporter (Iran if #6), such a embargo would have a huge effect on world wide oil prices. Putin could demand that any nation wanting Russian Oil must agree that none of its bases can be used to support such an attack, and such a threat (if seconded by Iran) would have huge effect on Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. Those four nations will have to find some other source of Oil OR forbid the US from using bases in those nations.
Germany will also be effected, for its main source of Oil AND natural gas is Russia.
Notice I do NOT think Iran or Russia will do anything militarily if the US attack Syria. What they can do militarily is limited. On the other hand they are two of the biggest exporters of oil in the world and between them (and Venezuela) such an oil embargo will make the Oil Embargo of 1973 and the Oil Crisis of 1979 look like picnics given the tight situation when it come oil supplies that has existed since about 2002. Oil is Russia's and Iran's most powerful weapon, and that should be their first choice of weapons if they decide to do something about an attack on Syria.
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for the impaired.
