“For much of Syria’s civil war, President Bashar Al Assad has been a man in retreat. Rebels control vast stretches of his country. A little more than a month ago, he faced the prospect of US military strikes that might have finally tipped the military balance. But the US-Russian deal to eliminate Syria’s chemical arms, which headed off a US missile barrage, has changed that. Al Assad is now an essential partner in a process that will last until at least mid-2014, and could drag on much longer. In a few short weeks, the push to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons under international supervision has, in the view of many, in effect supplanted the goal of ousting Al Assad.”
Source: Weapons deal could prolong Al Assad rule | GulfNews.com
