U.S., Russia Agree On Syria U.N. Chemical Arms Measure

U.S., Russia Agree On Syria U.N. Chemical Arms Measure

A U.S. State Department official hailed the deal as a "breakthrough."

"The Russians have agreed to support a strong, binding and enforceable resolution that unites the pressure and focus of the international community on the Syrian regime to ensure the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons," the official said.

Diplomats from the permanent Security Council members - China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain - had been haggling over the details of a resolution to back the American-Russian accord announced on Sept. 14 in Geneva to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons.

Assad agreed to destroy Syria's chemical weapons amid an international outcry over a sarin gas strike in the suburbs of Damascus last month - the world's deadliest chemical attack in 25 years.
The resolution also says that troops can be brought in, if there are any difficulties in getting Assad to comply with destruction of chemical weapons.

Russia earlier offered its own troops to safeguard and ensure destruction. If US decides to send some troops of its own, this could even turn into a joint US/Russian military peacekeeping action.

Russia has also stated that any chemicals under control of the rebels should also be destroyed, but I don't know where the US ended up on that negotiation, or if it fell through the cracks. It does appear that US officials have backed down on some of their initial demands, in the interest of finding agreement with Russia.

Overall, I think this is a positive development.