Syrian Official Declares 'Victory,' Thanks Russians for Preventing Strike

Opposition claims official does not speak for regime

A Syrian minister declared "victory" for his country on Sunday, thanking Russia for orchestrating a chemical weapons deal to avert U.S. military action, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"We welcome these agreements. On the one hand, they will help Syrians come out of the crisis, and on the other hand, they prevented the war against Syria by having removed a pretext for those who wanted to unleash it," National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar was quoted as saying.

He called the deal an achievement of Russian diplomacy, and "a victory for Syria won thanks to our Russian friends," RIA Novosti reported.

Comments

[Acosmist]

Wow, that's a huge fuck you to Obama. Awesome.

[Wizard4169]

Oh, puh-lease. While I'm no booster of a Syrian strike, it's pretty obvious that the whole Russian-backed deal is just a delaying tactic. Assad is in no hurry to give up his chemical weapons, and Russia is far more interested in short-circuiting an American strike than anything else. This will drag out for the-gods-only-know-how-long, with nothing done and the slaughter continuing. I don't care what John Kerry says, this will be nothing but an exercise in delay and obfuscation. The current deal is supposed to result in the destruction of all Syrian chemical weapons by mid-2014. Anybody wanna bet we'll still be arguing over this by June of next year? Anybody?

[Old Man With Candy]

That's better than bombing.

[buybuydandavis]

It's a face saving kabuki dance that allows Obama to pretend he has "done something", "taken a stand", "made a difference", while in fact doing nothing about Assad's chemical weapons or his murderous regime.

The Syrian minister sent thanks to Putin. Obama will send roses.

[SQRLSY One]

Seeing as to how our Most Sacred Home Team, the Good Ol' USA, 40-some years later, has NOT disposed of ALL its chemical-weapon cooties just yet, it is an EXTREMELY safe bet that the Most High and Holy Ayatollah / Emperor Obama will be able to dredge up SOME excuse for why the Syrian anti-chemical-weapons effort will fall FAR short, and so, when he has a Clinton-style affair with a new version of Monica, I will bet that He can find SOME Syrian analogue to a Sudanese aspirin factory, to bomb, when comes time to distract us from the new Monica affair? Just sayin' ?

[SQRLSY One]

By the way, WHERE is Monica these days, anyway? My middle eastern friends, they are VERY tired of humping camels most lately? They would be MOST willing to trade camels for some Executive / POTUS-class Camel Toe, these days, is the buzz that I am hearing lately? Monica, oh Monica, WHERE are you when we NEED you?!?!!? Frustrated middle-easterners and potential suicide-bombers NEED an outlet for their frustrations, won't you PLEASE step back forward?!?! Tits-first, or at least lips-first, ideally, loudly and proudly?!?!