US-Russia Deal on Syria Teetering Over ‘Use of Force’ Option

France Still Pushing War, Threatening Finalization of Pact

The US-Russia pact on Syria was seemingly a done deal, pushing Syria on a speed-up above and beyond the requirements of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), but giving up on US demands for a “military option.”

That deal seems to be in serious risk now, as France is pushing for attacking Syria and the US and Britain are no longer saying that they will accept a UN resolution based on what the US and Russia agreed to last week.

Russia says they won’t support any resolution authorizing use of force against Syria, and that means there could be an indefinite delay on any UN resolution, even though Syria ratified the CWC days ago.

France seems to be the driving force against the deal, and that decision seems to be in no small part based on the Hollande government’s desperation to assert itself as a world power, even if it means starting an unnecessary war in one of their former colonial possessions.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.