Yes, I should have realized Putin's scheme didn't pop up out of nowhere - US and Russia have been talking about plans to secure Assad's WMDs for a least a year now, which makes complete sense since back when this war began the big fear, and one of the most compelling reasons to support the US getting involved, was what to do about Assad's WMDs should he fall. I should have seen that.
Anyway, question still out there - why did Putin spring it now, what with Obama looking like he was heading to defeat on the AUMF resolution? Could be he's just screwing with Dear Leader, the way a cat tortures a mouse. Could be just a play for time, knowing that the longer this drags out the more ridiculous a 'punitive' strike seems, or because he knows something about the facts of the alleged attack that isn't public yet. Could it be he's trying to split the EU off from Obama, thereby totally isolating him? That sounds intriguing.
[I dunno - not getting this - Putin has given Obama a way out, even if it's only temporary, from a rather dire problem - he sure as hell didn't do it out of kindness - so that leaves two options: it was a mistake; or he's working a scheme - the fact that today Putin suggested he was open to selling the advanced S-300 air defense system to Iran doesn't clarify things: that could be over compensation for a mistake made; could be used as leverage in service of a scheme. The timing is curious, right before Obama's speech - I guess you could argue that to do it after the speech would make it look like Obama had pressured you into a concession, whereas before gives you the appearance of initiative with the added advantage of leaving Obama with nothing much to say - or maybe the whole point was to throw a wrench into his speech, trick him into welcoming a Russian plan that everyone knows is probably just a ruse, and thus make him look even less in charge of things or less reliable to be trusted with what he's asking - or not asking]
