Framework For Destruction of Syria"s Chemical Weapons
On September 14, 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a six-point "framework" for ridding the Syrian government of President Bashar Al-Assad of its chemical weapons. Kerry made the announcement with is Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It culminated weeks of tension that took the United States to the brink of a punitive attack on Syria.
Syria has been wracked by civil war since March 2011 when protesters, encouraged by the Arab Spring revolutions throughout North Africa and the Middle East, took to the streets against Assad's tyrannical regime.
More than 100,000 people have died in the war, and millions of Syrian refugees have fled the country.
On August 21, 2013, evidence surfaced that chemical weapons, reportedly sarin gas, had been used in the war. The U.S. is convinced that Assad's forces used the gas against rebels, killing more than 1,400 of them.
After evidence of a chemical attack in late 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama warned that usage of chemical weapons in violation of international law would be a "game changer" as far as the U.S. stance in the war. To that point, the U.S. had sided with Syrian rebels but given them only non-lethal aid. When Obama and his administration became convinced that Assad's forces had actually used banned weapons, he okayed the delivery of more lethal assistance to the rebels.
Obama also warned of possible American punitive measures if Syria continued to use chemical weapons.
After the August 21 chemical attack, Obama seemed intent on unleashing a punitive strike against Assad's regime.
However, he abruptly requested permission from the U.S. Congress before beginning any military action. While maintaining his office carries the authority to stage attacks without such permission, Obama may have been going an extra-mile to comply with the War Powers Act, or he may have been attempting to store up political capital with Congress.
Regardless, as Congressional committees debated Obama's request, a possible solution to the chemical crisis emerged.
Whether the result of a brief conversation between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, in early September; a long Russian deliberative process; or an off-the-cuff idea of Kerry's that bore fruit -- Russia proposed that Syria turn over its chemical stockpiles for the United Nations to dispose of.
Assad's immediate acceptance of the deal forestalled an American strike, but it also set in motion questions about how to implement the plan.
"We said at the outset that to accomplish our goal, this plan had to produce transparency, accountability, timeliness, and enforceability. It must be credible and verifiable," said Kerry in announcing the framework. "If fully implemented, we believe it can meet these standards. The world will now expect the Assad regime to live up to its public commitments. And as I said at the outset of these negotiations, there can be no games, no room for avoidance or anything less than full compliance by the Assad regime."
Here is a digest of the Six Points of the Kerry-Lavrov plan.
Kerry concluded his remarks on a hopeful note. "If we can join together and make this framework a success and eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, we would not only save lives, but we would reduce the threat to the region, and reinforce an international standard, an international norm. We could also lay the groundwork for further cooperation that is essential to end the bloodshed that has consumed Syria for more than two years," he said.
Source:
U.S. State Department. Kerry Announces Syria Chemical Weapons Framework. September 14, 2013. Accessed September 15, 2013.
Background
Syria has been wracked by civil war since March 2011 when protesters, encouraged by the Arab Spring revolutions throughout North Africa and the Middle East, took to the streets against Assad's tyrannical regime.
More than 100,000 people have died in the war, and millions of Syrian refugees have fled the country.
On August 21, 2013, evidence surfaced that chemical weapons, reportedly sarin gas, had been used in the war. The U.S. is convinced that Assad's forces used the gas against rebels, killing more than 1,400 of them.
After evidence of a chemical attack in late 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama warned that usage of chemical weapons in violation of international law would be a "game changer" as far as the U.S. stance in the war. To that point, the U.S. had sided with Syrian rebels but given them only non-lethal aid. When Obama and his administration became convinced that Assad's forces had actually used banned weapons, he okayed the delivery of more lethal assistance to the rebels.
Obama also warned of possible American punitive measures if Syria continued to use chemical weapons.
To Attack, Or Not
After the August 21 chemical attack, Obama seemed intent on unleashing a punitive strike against Assad's regime.
However, he abruptly requested permission from the U.S. Congress before beginning any military action. While maintaining his office carries the authority to stage attacks without such permission, Obama may have been going an extra-mile to comply with the War Powers Act, or he may have been attempting to store up political capital with Congress.
Regardless, as Congressional committees debated Obama's request, a possible solution to the chemical crisis emerged.
Russian Proposal
Whether the result of a brief conversation between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, in early September; a long Russian deliberative process; or an off-the-cuff idea of Kerry's that bore fruit -- Russia proposed that Syria turn over its chemical stockpiles for the United Nations to dispose of.
Assad's immediate acceptance of the deal forestalled an American strike, but it also set in motion questions about how to implement the plan.
Six Points
"We said at the outset that to accomplish our goal, this plan had to produce transparency, accountability, timeliness, and enforceability. It must be credible and verifiable," said Kerry in announcing the framework. "If fully implemented, we believe it can meet these standards. The world will now expect the Assad regime to live up to its public commitments. And as I said at the outset of these negotiations, there can be no games, no room for avoidance or anything less than full compliance by the Assad regime."
Here is a digest of the Six Points of the Kerry-Lavrov plan.
- Scope: "We have reached a shared assessment of the amount and type of chemical weapons possessed by the Assad regime, and we are committed to the rapid assumption of control by the international community of those weapons," said Kerry."
- Timelines: Syria must submit a "comprehensive listing" of chemical weapons in its possession within one week of Kerry's announcement.
- Use of Chemical Weapons Convention: "We have committed to use extraordinary procedures under the Chemical Weapons Convention for the expeditious destruction and stringent verification of Syrian chemical weapons," said Kerry.
- Verification and monitoring: Syria must give "immediate and unfettered" access to inspection teams from the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
- Destruction: "We have agreed to destroy all chemical weapons, including the possibility of removing weapons for destruction outside of Syria," said Kerry. "We have also reached a side agreement on methodology."
- Consequences: "In the event of noncompliance, we have committed to impose measures under Chapter 7 within the UN Security Council," said Kerry. Chapter 7 of the Security Council resolution refers to punitive and military actions.
Cause For Hope
Kerry concluded his remarks on a hopeful note. "If we can join together and make this framework a success and eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, we would not only save lives, but we would reduce the threat to the region, and reinforce an international standard, an international norm. We could also lay the groundwork for further cooperation that is essential to end the bloodshed that has consumed Syria for more than two years," he said.
Source:
U.S. State Department. Kerry Announces Syria Chemical Weapons Framework. September 14, 2013. Accessed September 15, 2013.
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