Eli Observes

Eli is by nature an observer.  Wait till the rubble bounces and then speak up was the advice he got from Mom Rabett, and in this the bunny has been quietly chewing his carrots while thinking about the Syrian situation.  Darkly thinking The Bunny has reached some conclusions, or perhaps better put, some speculations.

First, there was a poison gas attack that killed a World Trade Center (this is 9/11 and we mourn those lost) level of people

Second, that the attack was by the Syrian Army.  The Assad government it self has been pretty quiet on this after some initial claims and the level of sophistication was not rabble level.

Third, it is reasonable to believe that under stress, tightly controlled chemical weapons were dispersed to operating units of the army so that they could not be easily captured in toto.

Fourth, the attack was (and here we are deeper into speculation and a bit of evidence leaking into the press) not ordered by Assad, or those immediately under him.  This was a freelance by a low level unit.

Fifth, one thing that came out of the US bellicosity is that Syria no longer denies that it has chemical weapons.

Sixth, return of the weapons to central control is seen by the Syrian and Russian governments as a necessity.

Seventh, that putting the Syrian chemical weapons under "international" control, in practice means putting them into a well defended (by the Syrian army) central location with seals on the storage bunkers from Russian or UN observers

Eighth, that destruction of the weapons under those conditions will take a long, long time.

Ninth, that Assad believes that come the Gotterdamthe seals can be broken. 

Tenth, Obama backed the US into a nasty corner and would be lucky to escape.  Perhaps there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an onrushing train.