Syrian Free Army signing own death warrant

"The use of chemical weapons anywhere in the world is an affront to human dignity and a threat to the security of people everywhere," the President (Obama) said. "We have a duty to preserve a world free from the fear of chemical weapons for our children. Today marks an important step toward achieving this goal." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed understanding reached by Lavrov and Kerry regarding the safeguarding and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. "The Secretary General looks forward to learning more of this framework agreement and pledges the support of the United Nations in its implementation," a UN statement said.

The agreement was applauded by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "This is an important step towards the goal of ensuring the swift, secure and verifiable elimination of Syria's stocks of chemical weapons. Full and unreserved Syrian compliance is now key," he said in a statement tonight.

He stressed that the international community has a responsibility to make sure that the long-standing norm and practice against the use of chemical weapons is maintained, and violators are held accountable."

It is inconceivable that the Syrian Free Army will be able to escape full compliance with the obligation to surrender all chemical weapons in its possession without paying a heavy price politically for continuing support in its civil war against the Assad regime.

America and Russia must now both remain focused on collecting and destroying all chemical weapons in Syria - in whoever's possession they happen to be.

Continuing failure by the Syrian Free Army to co-operate in achieving this objective could lead to a swift collapse of the uprising and leave Assad in charge - vindicating the political support given to him unswervingly by Russia, China and Iran.

This may be an unpalatable result for the West to swallow - but it's inevitability now seems to be well on the cards.

In failing to co-operate with the American- Russia initiative - the Syrian Free Army may well be signing its own death warrant.