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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is In the News. |
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What seemed like an unplanned comment |
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about Syria's chemical weapons |
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had a major effect on world events this week. |
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American Secretary of State John Kerry |
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spoke last Monday at a press conference in London. |
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He was reacting to questions |
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about possible American action |
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to answer a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. |
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One reporter asked the secretary |
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whether there is anything Syria's president can do |
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to avoid an American military strike. |
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"Sure, he can turn over |
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every single bit of his chemical weapons |
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to the international community in the next week." |
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Mr. Kerry made clear he was speaking theoretically, |
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and did not expect anything like that to happen. |
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"But he is not about to do that, |
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cannot be done, obviously." |
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But Russia seized on the idea |
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and persuaded Syria to do the same. |
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That brought plans for American congressional votes |
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on military action to a halt. |
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It also led France to suggest a United Nations |
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Security Council resolution on chemical weapons in Syria. |
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President Obama has said |
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he would accept a diplomatic solution |
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if it can be carried out. |
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But that would likely take weeks, at least. |
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Some officials in the United States and overseas are concerned. |
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They fear that Syria and Russia will use Mr. Kerry's comment |
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to direct attention away from the reported chemical attack |
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and to avoid American action. |
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Mr. Obama has said the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad |
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must be punished for violating the nearly century old ban |
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on the use of chemical weapons. |
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He called for American action to prevent |
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future use of chemical weapons in Syria. |
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He proposed limited airstrikes on government targets. |
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The airstrikes could happen quickly if Congress approves. |
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Joanna Kidd is a security expert with London's King's College. |
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She says any move to place Syria's chemical weapons |
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under international control would take a long time, |
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if it could be done at all. |
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"It is a job that would take several months to do. |
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And, of course, one should not forget that obviously |
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there is a civil war going on in Syria, |
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which would greatly complicate the process." |
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The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
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could provide inspectors to document controls |
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on Syria's chemical weapons. |
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But experts say there may not be enough inspectors |
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to cover all of Syria. |
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And they say the organization may not be willing |
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to send them into the middle of the civil war. |
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Late this week, the Syrian government took its first step |
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toward joining the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. |
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The convention bans the development, |
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production and use of chemical weapons. |
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Until now, only seven countries, including Syria, |
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have failed to approve the treaty. |
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Mr. Assad says his country is now ready to give its approval. |
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But he says Syria cannot be "brought to the final stage" |
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while it is under the threat of an American missile strike. |
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In a related development, Secretary Kerry |
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and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Geneva. |
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Mr. Kerry said they held what he called "constructive" talks |
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on ending Syria's chemical weapons program. |
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He said they also agreed to do "homework" as part of an effort |
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to get Syria's warring sides to a conference on a temporary government. |
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And that's In the News from VOA Learning English. |
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I'm Steve Ember. |