Crucial talks on ending Syrian control of its chemical weapons began Thursday in Geneva with the top negotiators -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov -- offering similar goals but different ideas on how to reach them. "This is not a game," Kerry said, making clear that a U.S. threat to attack Syria for allegedly gassing its own people remained an option if the negotiations failed to prove Syria and its ally Russia were serious about the Syrian regime handing over its chemical weapons stockpiles. Any agreement reached must be "comprehensive," "verifiable," "credible" and "able to be implemented in a timely fashion," Kerry said, adding that "there ought to be consequences if it doesn't take place."
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Many rebel fighters want to establish an Islamist state in Syria, U.S. officials say
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Kerry says there should be consequences if Syria fails to turn over chemical arms
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Russia is proposing that Syria turn over its chemical weapons to international control
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Some in U.S. question Moscow's sincerity given its persistent backing of Syria
Kerry then asked the translator to repeat Lavrov's final comment, but when that didn't happen, Lavrov tried to assure @placeholder there was no problem.