threat of u.s. strikes on syria if it fails to do what it's told. washington says it still retains the right to take unilateral military action. but under the agreement with russia, noncompliance would have to be referred to the u.n. security council. where any punish the would have to be agreed. russia is casting this as a diplomatic coup averting a strike against its ally in damascus and possibly opening the way for a broad political settlement to the conflict. >> translator: and the successful realization of this agreement will have meaning not only from the point of view of the common goal of liquidating and destructing all arsenals of chemical weapons but to avoid the military scenario that would be catastrophic for this region and for the international relations as a whole. >> reporter: but in syria, an already catastrophic war continues to rage. making the complex work of ridding this country of its