Syria Agrees To Russian 'Plan' To Transfer Control Of Chemical Weapons And Avert A US Attack

REUTERS/Khaled al-HaririSyria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) shakes hands Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before a meeting in Damascus March 20, 2008. On Tuesday Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Syria has "agreed to the Russian initiative" to place the country's chemical weapons under international control for subsequent dismantling. He added that Syria did so to "uproot U.S. aggression."

Moscow and Damascus are currently in talks to develop a "concrete plan" for the Syrian regime to hand over its chemical weapons arsenal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Agence-France Presse on Tuesday.

"We expect to present this plan soon and we will be ready to work on it with the UN secretary general, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, with the participation of members of the UN Security Council," Lavrov said at a news conference.

On Wednesday U.S. President Barack Obama said that he would "absolutely" pause plans for strikes on Syria if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was serious about ceding control of his country's massive chemical arsenal.

Iran, who along with Russia is propping up the Syrian regime, and China have backed the Kremlin's proposal.

The Syrian opposition roundly denounced the notion as a political maneuver "that will only result in more deaths and destruction for the Syrian people."

Germany, the U.K., and France acknowledged the potential deal but remain skeptical.

On Tuesday France said it would propose a United Nations Security Council resolution that will call for Syria to allow inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to oversee the destruction of chemical weapons in the country and will require that Syria become a member of the organization.

How Syria would place one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons under international control in the middle of an ongoing civil war is unclear.

What the Russian move will certainly do is delay any U.S. decision on a strike.

"I don't anticipate that you would see a succession of votes this week or anytime in the immediate future," Obama told ABC news.

The potential breakthrough arose from an offhand remark by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the Kremlin pounced on. Last night Obama said that he has discussed the topic with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week at the G-20 summit.