Syria has agreed with proposed chemical weapons arsenal disposal - Call off the attack Obama

 

 September 9, 2013 - Russia has asked Syria to put its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control and then have them destroyed, in an attempt to avoid US military strikes.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the offer was made during talks with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, who welcomed the initiative.

The US said it was sceptical, but would have a "hard look" at the plan.

The US accuses Damascus of war crimes, allegations denied by the regime.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, in Europe to garner support for the military action, has once again warned that taking no action is riskier than launching strikes.
When asked at a news conference whether there was anything Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could do to avoid military action, Mr Kerry replied that he could hand over his entire stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week.

US officials subsequently clarified that Mr Kerry was making a "rhetorical argument" rather than a serious offer.

However, Mr Lavrov later said he had urged Mr Muallem during talks in Moscow to "not only agree on placing chemical weapons storage sites under international control, but also on their subsequent destruction".

He said he had also told Mr Muallem that Syria should then fully join the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Mr Muallem told reporters through an interpreter that Syria welcomed the Russian initiative.

He praised Russia for "attempting to prevent American aggression against our people".

Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov spoke on the phone after the Russian proposal was put forward, but US officials sounded a cautious note over the plan.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US government would study the proposal, but had scepticism over the credibility of the Assad regime.

"In an interview earlier, Assad refused to even acknowledge that he has chemical weapons. Of course, the whole world knows he does," said Mr Carney.

He promised that the US would continue to push for strikes because the credible threat of military action was vital in putting pressure on the Assad regime.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the destruction of the weapons would be a "huge step forward", but warned that it should not be used as a "distraction tactic".