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Syria's rebels are criticizing a plan to destroy the country's chemical weapons, saying it doesn't punish President Bashar Assad. The Syrian regime's first public reaction to the U.S.-Russia deal came Sunday, when a minister called it a "victory."
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As the U.S. and Russia announce a deal to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons program, we take a step back to look at where the weapons came from, what they're made of and how to get rid of them.
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In a plan announced Saturday, the U.S. and Russia would give Syria a week to detail its chemical weapons arsenal. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart reached the deal on the third day of talks in Geneva.
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President Obama's approach to Syria has taken a number of surprising twists and turns in the weeks since a poison gas attack in August. A surprise agreement between Russia and the U.S. on a timetable for destroying Syria's weapons is the latest in what appears at times to be an unscripted drama.
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Although a Free Syrian Army commander has said his fighters haven't yet gotten any "lethal aid" from the U.S., sources tell NPR that some small arms are being delivered to "moderate" rebels. Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian diplomats report progress in their discussions.
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In Geneva, Secretary of State John Kerry said despite the difficulties, the U.S believes a deal is workable. The Syrian leader had offered to sharing data about his chemical weapons stockpile 30 days after signing the international treaty banning their use.
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Russia is "playing games. ... They know that the regime in Damascus is a criminal regime," Gen. Salim Idris tells NPR. Many Syrians, he says, "can't understand why the Russians and Iranians are supporting the [Assad] regime" and why "our friends are delaying" in coming to the opposition's aid.
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Until recently, Russia seemed unable or unwilling to do anything to head off a U.S. strike against Syria. Now, it's running with a plan to have Syria place its chemical weapons under international control. The strategy allows nearly all sides to save face politically.
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Overnight, Syrian analyst Elizabeth O'Bagy became a prominent figure in the Syrian debate. She was fired Wednesday for falsely claiming to have a Ph.D.
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Military Times asked 750 active-duty personnel about whether the U.S. should take action against the Assad regime for its alleged use of chemical weapons. About three-quarters said no. While not scientific, the results do echo what some military personnel have said in interviews.