When he ran against George W. Bush in 2004, John Kerry was faulted for knowing too much and having complex opinions. He was aware of "nuance", while George W. Bush, of course, was not. Nuance can work, however, if there are people around who can grasp what's happening.
John Kerry is not the kind of person who says things off the top of his head. He's not the kind to "wonder aloud" at press conferences. When he said that Assad of Syria could avoid a strike by surrendering his chemical weapons, it was absolutely intentional.
He quickly added that Assad would never give up all his chemical weapons. Therefore, the only possible way out of the crisis wouldn't happen. By rejecting his own idea, Kerry avoided his trial balloon being seen as an actual formal offer. (Most likely, however, he knew Russia would accept the deal before he even floated it.)
The Russians are interested because they are a little uneasy at being on the wrong side of any lines drawn in the sand. Would you want to cast your lot with Syria and Iran? They are also concerned about chemical weapons being used in Chechnya and by the ethnic minorities within Russia. Plus, in pushing the deal, Putin gets to appear progressive on the world stage.
Secretary Clinton and President Obama are no doubt right that the serious threat of military force made the offer look attractive to Syria and Russia. This seems obvious on its face, but many will probably disagree.
The whole thing could yet unravel, but probably not. It's too good a deal for everyone concerned. The United States and France make their point, chemical weapons are still verboten, Assad keeps his job (at least temporarily), and Russia moves toward a solution of its own problem.
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