General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHonest question: Who initiated the disarmament proposal?
Maybe someone knows. I don't.
From what I have read, the only thing I know is that some idea was discussed between Obama and Putin in their 20 minute sidebar at the G20. Who initiated that meeting? Who proposed the idea of Syria turning over the weapons?
And, no, it doesn't matter in the end. This is looking like a good deal. I'm very happy that the US military is not going to get involved in the foreseeable future and that the steps are beginning towards removing the weapons. I'd rather that we were not providing weapons to the rebels, though.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)morningfog
(18,115 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)of both sides on one of the weekend talk shows last week.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)TO be a fly on the wall.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)Secretary of State Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Press Remarks After Their Meeting
Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Intercontinental Hotel
Geneva, Switzerland
September 14, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: So, obviously, I would hope and always hoped that we could have removed those weapons, and we wanted to. But we didnt know whether or not this could be given the kind of life it has been given in the last 48 hours. So, it just didnt make sense to raise a concept that hadnt yet been put to the test or agreed upon or worked through. Im pleased that President Putin took initiative, and Sergey took initiative, and President Obama responded, and were here.
And so the question is, So where do we go from here, and how do we build on this, which I think is really critical. Now, how do you do this, quote, in a time of war? Well, look, this is logical. One of the reasons that we believe this is achievable is because the Assad regime has taken extraordinary pains in order to keep control of these weapons. And they have moved them, and we know theyve moved them. Weve seen them move them. We watched this. And so we know theyve continued to always move them to a place of more control.
Therefore, since these weapons are in areas under regime control predominantly, Sergey raises questions that maybe the opposition has some here or there, and absolutely, fair is fair. Both sides have to be responsible. If they do, that also and that may present a larger challenge. But those of us who have been supporting the opposition have a responsibility to help create access there, and the regime has responsibility where we believe the the measure in fact, we believe the only weapons are ought to be accessible because the Assad regime controls the access.
...
So I think I hope Sergey feels the way I do there are things we disagree on. But big nations, powerful nations, leaders, cannot afford to get caught up in the small things. And President Putin, to his credit, despite real disagreement with our policy, despite a disagreement with where we were heading, reached out and tried to continue the dialogue. So I would say look for the glass being half-full rather than half-empty, and lets see how we proceed from here.
...
https://geneva.usmission.gov/2013/09/14/transcript-secretary-of-state-kerry-and-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-press-remarks-after-their-meeting/
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)-snip-
According to a senior Senate aide, Obama told Democrats that he had asked Kerry to reach out to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and offer the diplomatic solution.
"He mentioned that that occurred during the G-20 meeting (a year ago), when he met with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin -- that he would assign Kerry to discuss diplomatic alternatives," added Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).
A senior administration official confirmed to The Huffington Post that Obama and Putin first discussed the concept in Los Cabos at the G-20 in June 2012. After the first plenary session, while world leaders were mingling, Obama and Putin went to a corner of the room and spoke for nearly half an hour about Syria.
-snip-
Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/10/john-kerry-syria-solution_n_3901863.html
ProSense
(116,464 posts)Kerry's ventriloquist, not Poland or Putin or some guy standing on the corner.
The attempts to snatch credit for this are hilarious: It was Putin, not Obama or Kerry. No, it was Poland, not Putin. No, it was Poland, and then Putin. It was anyone except the people actually involved.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone claims Kerry and Lavrov didn't actually meet.
Cha
(297,780 posts)the corporatemediawhores.. and anyone else who would rather have their teeth pulled than give PBO credit for Anything.
Yes, this must have been "photoshopped"..
Sec of State John Kerry shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after the two finalized an agreement pic.twitter.com/ZCqXdrbeni5:07 AM - 14 Sep 2013
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110216102#post1
Pab Sungenis
(9,612 posts)Everyone played a role in bringing this about, if it's successful.
bhikkhu
(10,725 posts)...its one of the reasons Syria has been on the outs with the US and the UN for a very long time. Assad has always known what was wanted of him (as his dad did too), as far as the chemical weapons, but it took being backed into a very tight corner to get him to cooperate.