Alexey Pushkov, head of the Russian parliamentary committee for international affairs, emphasized today that the Syrian conflict was at a breakthrough moment and chances for a war had been minimized by Russia’s proposal to put chemical weapons under public control.
Pushkov noted that US Secretary of State John Kerry had expressed no trust in Assad’s agreeing on the Russian initiative. Susan Rice had said that she had not trusted Damascus or Moscow. Obama had said that the strike will be postponed if Assad agreed.
Thus, Syria will have many UN specialists keeping the chemical weapons under control, ruling out bombings.
Only a little over a third of US senators wanted a military operation. Russia ruined the calls for war of John McCain and strengthened opposition. The Arab League is split into supporters of the war and countries against it.
Syria has not signed the convention forbidding chemical weapons, so it does not violate international treaties.
Pushkov concluded, stating that this week will be decisive for the Syrian crisis.
