In his speech, Obama will express skepticism about the Russian offer on Syria but vow to see if it is for real, we're told
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Syria_9
In the Washington Post, Zachary Goldfarb picks apart the potential benefits and drawbacks of pursuing the Russian proposal to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control. Reuters has reported that Obama will express skepticism of the proposal in his speech tonight while continuing to advocate for military strikes (a threat that the administration has already credited with prompting the Russian plan).
Though the Russian plan offers clear political cover for Obama and other supporters of using force in Syria, given widespread opposition in Congress and among Americans, Goldfarb outlines the risk of trusting that the proposed weapons surrender is a ploy by Assad and Putin to delay U.S. action and gum up the works in Washington.
Goldfarb also notes that even a successful implementation of the proposal could leave Assad in a stronger and more insulated position, given that only “About 1 percent of the more than 100,000 causalities in the Syrian civil war have come as a result of chemical weapons.” And given that only days ago the administration officials decried the lack of action on Syria by the U.N. and Russia, which would now play key roles in making the proposal a reality, hopes for a quick pivot and constructive collaboration may be overly optimistic from a geopolitical standpoint.
by Colin.McDonald 7:57 PM