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Syria’s reconciliation minister hailed “a victory for Syria won thanks to our Russian friends” Sunday as the international community debated the merits of the deal to destroy the regime’s chemical weapons.

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“We welcome these agreements,” Ali Haidar told Russia’s state-operated RIA Novosti. “On the one hand, they will help Syrians come out of the crisis, and on the other hand, they prevented the war against Syria by having removed a pretext for those who wanted to unleash it.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday sent a strong warning to Syria, saying “the threat of force is real” if it does not carry out an internationally brokered agreement to hand over its chemical weapons.

Kerry issued the warning during a stop in Jerusalem, where he briefed jittery Israeli leaders on the new U.S.-Russian plan to rid neighbouring Syria of its chemical weapons by the middle of next year. In comments aimed at his hosts, Kerry said the deal also served as a “marker” for the international community as it deals with Iran’s suspect nuclear program.