US-Russia deal lets Bashar Assad keep biological weapons

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad must surrender his chemical weapons to avoid a U.S. military strike, but the U.S.-Russia framework on his disarmament makes no mention of Assad handing over his biological weapons.

“[T]he United States and the Russian Federation have committed to prepare and submit in the next few days to the Executive Council of the OPCW a draft decision setting down special procedures for expeditious destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons program and stringent verification thereof,” the State Department framework explains.