Barack Obama

I really appreciate it, especially after having been called an Al Qaeda fan for supporting Obama.

But it was obvious to me from the start that this was a real game of chicken, in game theory terms. Brinkmanship, if you will, on a small scale since Syria isn't a nuclear power. But its backer is. That means Russia had to be stared down. We still don't know if it has worked. PBO still has to look as if he will strike if they don't cooperate. Although he can tone it down a smidgen, he still has to be the wild card in this game.

And we don't know what Russia has promised to Syria in return for giving up those CW. Or if they have cooked up a way to hide some. Perhaps a Nobel Prize is all Putin wants. Somehow I'm skeptical.