Obama is not a linear thinker. When he said he may change his calculus in the Syria matter I think he meant it.

What actions could lead to the best of four worlds, US, Syria, Russia and the entire Middle East region?

With the use of back channels with Russia Obama could pull off a magnificent beneficial strategy for all concerned.

Watch closely because even if the CIA was trying to pull off the oldest lie in the book by blaming "the other guy" for what they have done or if rebels screwed up intentionally or not, Obama could pull off a three way victory in the chemical weapons controversy.

Obama could have asked Russia to appear to commit a magnanimous act that would raise the status of Russia and appear to supersede the US in effective solutions to the Syrian use of chemical weapons by asking
Russia to take possession of the Syrian chemical arsenal.
Maybe even Snowden could be part of the deal down the road.

The #1 benefit for Obama is that he has brought the constitutional tradition of having Congress decide on warfare in cases when we have more than 7 minutes to respond. Since WW II this tradition has been virtually ignored to the peril and treasure of the United States and has brewed severe blow back over the decades.

#2 Warfare is averted and Russia becomes a closer partner in dealing with our shared enemy of terrorists in the region.

#3 Taking away an arsenal is at least some action to punish Assad for breaking an international treaty.

#4 While the deal is classified the votes by Republicans will have primary repercussions next year and in 2016 no matter how they vote. Republicans will vote hypocritically and Obama will have Congress to point at whenever the failure to lead memo pops up.


Problems do not need an either or solution but can be solved with a good ol quadratic equation that does good on several levels at once.


On the bad side it does bring up a history of the US selling and helping Saddam Hussien use Sarin against Iran despite the international treaty banning the manufacture or use of chemical weapons.