Damascus “Welcomes Russia’s Initiative On Chemical Weapons” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Muallem has responded positively to a proposal <http://ria.ru/arab_riot/20130909/962011916.html> by his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, regarding the possibility of transferring Syria’s chemical weapons stocks to international supervision.
RIA Novosti quotes Al Muallem — currently in Moscow for talks with Lavrov — as saying: *During talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, he launched an initiative related to chemical weapons. I listened carefully to his statement. In regard to that, I declare that the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes Russia’s initiative, on the basis that the Syrian leadership cares about the lives of our citizens and the security in our country.* ** *We are also confident in the wisdom of the Russian government, which is trying to prevent American aggression against our people. * Moscow Calls On Syria To Transfer Chemical Weapons To International Supervision Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday called on the Assad regime<http://ria.ru/arab_riot/20130909/961993979.html> to transfer its chemical weapons to international supervision to avoid a U.S. military strike, RIA Novosti reports. “If by establishing international control over chemical weapons [in Syria] allows a strike to be avoided, then we will immediately work with Damascus,” – Lavrov said, according to RIA. Interfax has a slightly different version<http://www.interfax.ru/world/news.asp?id=327946> of the quote, reporting that Lavrov began by noting that “We don’t know if Damascus will agree to this or not” regarding the matter of chemical weapons stocks being transferred to international control. RIA goes on to quote Lavrov as saying: “We call on the Syrian leadership to not only agree on a statement regarding the storage of chemical weapons under international supervision, but also their subsequent destruction, as well as regarding [Syria's] full accession to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.” Lavrov added that Russia had already submitted a proposal to this affect to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Muallem, who is currently in Moscow for talks, and that the Russian Foreign Ministry “look[ed] forward to a speedy and hopefully positive response.” So far, Moscow has maintained the line that the Assad regime was not responsible for the August 21 attacks, and that that U.S. needed to provide incontrovertible proof of Damascus’s culpability. This move seems to indicate that Moscow may not be sure that this line will hold, it is trying a new gambit to avoid a strike. Taking advantage of the presence of Al Muallem in Moscow, it is calling John Kerry’s bluff — if it is a bluff — that intervention will be suspended if Syria gives up its chemical weapons. For this tactic to work, however, Damascus has to agree to do its part, admitting again that it holds chemical weapons, revealing the extent of those stocks, and admitting that is willing to renounce them. http://eaworldview.com/2013/09/syria-today-assad-v-kerry-the-quest-for-international-support/
