Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States and its allies should "Pledge to renounce the use of force" As world powers work to deal with the Syrian chemical weapons issue. "It is difficult to make any country -- Syria or any other country in the world -- to unilaterally disarm if there is military action against it under consideration," He told Russian TV today. Ref. CNN
Secretary of State John Kerry said today the U.S.-Russia effort to pursue a transfer of Syria's chemical weapons to international control "Is not a game."
He said it has to be "Comprehensive," "Verifiable," And "Implemented in a timely fashion." "There ought to be consequences if it doesn't take place," He said today in Geneva, Switzerland.
Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, are holding two days of talks in hopes of forging a diplomatic solution to Syria's chemical weapons crisis. Ref. CNN
Syria has formally asked to join the Chemical Weapons Convention, Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said Thursday. "With this, the chapter of the so-called chemical weapons should be ended," Ja'afari added.
The announcement comes as crucial talks on ending Syrian control of its chemical weapons began in Geneva between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Ref. CNN
Retired CIA Analyst: US's Evidence on Syria Chemical Attack Fabricated:
Elements within the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have fabricated intelligence to implicate the Syrian government in the recent chemical attack in Syria and cater for Washington's case for launching strikes on the Middle-Eastern country, said a retired CIA analyst. Ref. Source 9
Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday that the United States and Russia have agreed on a framework that, if fully implemented, could mean the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons, following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva, Switzerland.
The U.S. And Russia are committed to the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons, and it must submit within one week a comprehensive list of its chemical weapons stockpile, Kerry said. Ref. CNN
Obama: Geneva Progress Represents Important Concrete Step
US Military News
A framework agreement reached between the United States and Russia during talks in Geneva "represents an important, concrete step toward the goal of moving Syria's chemical weapons under international control so that they may ultimately be destroyed," President Barack Obama said.
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Obama Says U.S. Remains Prepared To Act On Syria If Diplomacy Fails
President Barack Obama vowed on Saturday that Syria will be held to account if it fails to live up to its promises to surrender chemical weapons as he faced questions about how a deal brokered by U.S. and Russian diplomats would be enforced. In a statement, Obama said a framework deal was an important, concrete step toward getting Syria's chemical weapons under international control so they can ultimately be destroyed. The deal emerged from Geneva talks between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. ...
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