The Gleam of Opportunity in the Middle East

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/us_must_accept_russian-delivered_syria_20130917/

William Pfaff

Paris, September 18, 2013

           The Washington debates about the Syrian chemical weapons, and whether there is an Obama “Plan B” by which the United States may yet bomb Syria, seem deaf to what really happened last week.
            Russia delivered Syria, its ally, to international negotiations concerning those weapons and their renunciation.  This has possibly opened the door to some way to resolve the Syrian civil war.  Moscow is now responsible for what its client, Syria, does.  All the more is President Putin required to deliver a cooperative President Bashar al-Assad if Moscow continues to insist that the United States renounce military action, even if Syria fails to fulfill the obligations it has accepted.
            This means Syria must produce the list of locations where its chemical weapons are stored so that the United Nations and the inspectors of the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons can locate, seize and neutralize Syria’s stocks of chemical munitions.  If Mr. Assad fails to do so, Russia is responsible, and must take action to ensure that Syria does fulfill the responsibilities it accepted when it signed the international convention banning chemical weapons.  
            Syria has subjected itself to international law in this matter.  That is highly significant.  Washington doesn’t seem to understand the importance of President Assad’s submission to international law.  The U.S. has itself has become so indifferent, and even so defiant of international law, that it fails to grasp that the rest of the world wants to see the Assad government submit to international law – and the United States (and Israel) do so as well.