After the chemical attack on its own people, the Syrian regime faced a very real threat: a military strike from the United States. With chemical attacks being illegal, Obama’s idea of a military attack as punishment is in fact no better. “The fundamental rule of international law is that states cannot attack other states, even for humanitarian reasons”. The only exceptions to this ruling are that: “a state can attack another state if it is authorized to do so by a Security Council resolution, or if the attacking state is acting in genuine self-defense”. http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/05/obamas-plan-for-intervention-in-syria-is-illegal/#ixzz2eV4EzTtX In this instance, neither of these apply. Obama had two unappetizing choices: attack without the “backing of congress…and the United Nations; or execute an embarrassing about-face. At this point Obama has gotten himself into a very sticky situation. Luckily for him, the President of Russia; Vladimir Putin, may have solved Obama’s by giving the U.S. president a way out. Simply put, Putin’s proposal is to put Assad’s chemical weapons under international control. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/09/11/vladimir_putins_chemical_weapons_gambit_saves_obamas_bacon_walkom.html