It was only a matter of time before Syria's Assad, emboldened by Obama's recent backtracking and confident he has all the leverage and momentum, started laying down his own conditions. And here they are, as cited on Russian TV: ASSAD SAYS CHEMCIAL ARMS DEAL DEPENDS ON US STOPPING AID TO TERRORISTS ASSAD SAYS WILL COMPLETE DEAL ONLY IF US STOPS "POLICY OF THREATS" ASSAD SAYS IMPLEMENTATION OF DEAL MAY TAKE A MONTH OR MORE If at all. And now, his bluff called, we go back to Barack Obama penning his Pravda Op-Ed. (full story)