“World is Happy for Assad to Continue Killing Syrians”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian protesters carry banners calling for international action against the Assad regime in Kafranbel, Idlib, in northern Syria. Image by Majid Almustafa. Copyright Demotix August 30, 2013
This post is part of our special coverage Surviving in Syria
Syria just announced that it was ready to put its chemical weapons stockpile under international control – and then destroy them, under a new deal chalked by Russia. Activists say the tactic will buy Syrian president Bashar Al Assad time to continue killing people with all other types of weapons at his disposal.
The deal aims to avert a US strike against Syria, which is being accused of using chemical weapons against Syrian people. According to figures by the United Nations, at least 100,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million have been forced to flee the country since anti-Assad protests started in March, 2011.
Syrian activist Shakeeb Al-Jabri exclaims:
Essentially what was decided today is that you can shoot someone dead and escape punishment by handing over the gun when you're done. #Syria
— Shakeeb Al-Jabri (@LeShaque) September 9, 2013
Mauritanian activist Naser Weddady notes:
Regime foreign minister welcomes proposal to put chem weapons under supervision=world happy for the Assad war machine to continue killing
— weddady (@weddady) September 9, 2013
And BSyria adds:
The 7 million displaced Syrians did not run away from their homes because of CW.
— BSyria (@BSyria) September 9, 2013
While Ghazal says that reigning in Assad's use of chemical warfare means that all other weapons are acceptable [ar]:
وهي وافقوا عالرقابة للكيماوي يعني منرجع للطيران والمدفعية والبراميل ..ومومشكلة يلي بيموتوا “ندين ..” بتتولى الموضوع اهم شي الكيماوي يتراقب !
— غَزَل (@0ghazal) September 9, 2013
And now that they have accepted monitoring chemical weapons, it means that we will go back to airforce, artillery and barrels. It isn't a problem how many people die. They will condemn. The most important is that chemical weapons are not used.
In a series of tweets, BBC News Middle East Bureaux chief Richard Colebourn suggests that Russia and Syria may have – obviously – coordinated their action.
#Syria state TV have a graphic reporting the #Russia CW proposal – which is interesting
— Richard Colebourn (@rcolebourn) September 9, 2013
Timings of statements from #Russia and #Syria and interesting coverage from Syrian state TV suggests this has all been nicely coordinated
— Richard Colebourn (@rcolebourn) September 9, 2013
He adds:
Is #Russia deal a way out for Obama? Is it means for #Syria to tie up UN + world in prolonged CW inspections/monitoring bureaucratic tangle?
— Richard Colebourn (@rcolebourn) September 9, 2013
The move is also posing many questions. Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera English correspondent, tweets:
#Syrians now ask whether #US threatened military action just to make sure CW stockpiles don't fall in the “wrong hands” (AQ and Hizbullah)
— Zeina Khodr (@ZeinakhodrAljaz) September 9, 2013
While Syrian blogger Anas Maarawi says:
من وين طلعولنا بشغلة تسليم الكيماوي. النظام مستعد يسلّم أمه وأبوه وأخته والقرداحة نفسها مقابل أنو يبقى
— Anas Maarawi (@anasonline) September 9, 2013
Where did they come up with handing over chemical weapons? The regime is ready to hand over its mother, father and sister in return for retaining power
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests