Obama praises chemical weapons deal with Russia; force still on the table

Calling it “an important step” toward ridding the world of chemical weapons, President Obama on Saturday praised an agreement between the U.S. and Russia that will, in theory, result in Syria relinquishing its toxic arsenal.
But the deal doesn’t mean the U.S. is backing down from its threat of military force.
“There are consequences should the Assad regime not comply with the framework agreed today. And if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act,” Mr. Obama said in a statement shortly after the deal was unveiled.