Syria 'agrees to weapons deal'

Syria has said it accepts Russia’s proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control for subsequent dismantling.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said after meeting Russian politicians that his government quickly “agreed to the Russian initiative.”

He added that Syria did so to “uproot US aggression.”

His statement sounded more definitive than his remarks on Monday, when he said that Damascus welcomed Russia’s initiative.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is now working with Syria to prepare a detailed plan of action, which will be presented shortly.

Mr Lavrov said that Russia will then be ready to finalise the plan together with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

President Barack Obama said the Russian proposal could be “potentially a significant breakthrough,” but he remained sceptical that Syria would follow through.

Syria's main opposition bloc urged the West to ignore the offer and strike the regime, dismissing the proposal as manoeuvre to escape punishment.

The proposal is a sudden shift after the United States was preparing for weeks for possible strikes against president Bashar Assad’s regime, accused of carrying out a chemical attack near Damascus that killed hundreds.

The SNC, which is the main political opposition umbrella group, has been pushing for international military action, hoping a blow would shift the war of attrition.

The coalition said Moscow’s proposal “aims to procrastinate and will lead to more death and destruction of the Syrian people.”

“A violation of international law should lead to an international retaliation that is proportional in size,” the group said. “Crimes against humanity cannot be dropped by giving political concessions or by handing over the weapons used in these crimes.”

In Israel, senior politicians also voiced scepticism about Russia’s proposal.

Avigdor Lieberman, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of the parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee, said Assad is using the proposal to “buy time.” He also said the logistics of a weapons transfer are unclear.

Mr Obama is seeking authorisation from Congress for US intervention in Syria, and is due to present his case to the American people in a nationally televised speech from the White House.

In a sign that there is little international appetite to join forces against Assad, France said it will propose a UN Security Council resolution to put Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal under international supervision and to eventually destroy them.