Observers of the Syrian conflict which resulted in over 100,000 deaths since protests began against the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad, were probably caught off guard over the weekend when the United States and Russia manoeuvred through a diplomatic minefield of complexities and were able to reach agreement on a process to eliminate chemical weapons from that war torn country.The tentative agreement spearheaded by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, took place amid heavy criticism from the Republican Party with President Barack Obama being accused of going soft after threatening to conduct limited air strikes on the Assad Regime when evidence was conclusive that his Government unleased chemical weapons that left hundreds dead, including men, women, and children.Even the Russians were sceptical at first, but later with mountains of evidence seen by the world they changed diplomatic gears and became initiators of seeking a solution to rid Syria of its chemical weapons stockpile. The move was sparked by a comment from Mr Kerry that if Syria got rid of its chemical weapons it could help in seeking a solution to the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin jumped on the remark and set the wheels in motion to work along with the US toward that end.President Obama, who had been hoping for a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the crisis, dispatched Mr Kerry to explore the Russian proposal in efforts to leave no stone unturned before resorting to any type of military action, which he could have ordered even without the approval of Congress.Fully aware of Americas anti-war mood after Iraq and Afghanistan, the President knew diplomacy would be the key although he was firm that if need be, military action could not be ruled out.The incredible part of this unique political scenario was that the two world superpowers, the US and Russia, who seldom see eye-to-eye on a number of issues, linked up to find a way to slice through the policies of a dictator, with a united thrust. That left no room for Assad to play games to retain control of these weapons. In fact, Assad must comply with tight demands or the agreement between the US and Russia stipulates that any violation which if verified could result in the United Nations taking action with further sanctions, or even a military response.To press the point home, Syria was given one week to supply a list of their entire chemical weapons stock. The objective here seems to be aimed at letting the regime know that the game of chemical weapons is over. Although the international community welcomes the move, some are still wondering when and if the dust settles who will be held accountable for using poison gas, which is a well established international war crime.Here in Bermuda, we could learn that in dealing with complex matters that affect the people, instead of political point scoring, a ritual we see so often, our leaders at times need to shrug off party or personal ambitions, and open themselves to logic and common sense which would create a climate of respect despite having opposing view points.There is much work to be done to get Bermuda back on course, and too much bickering will take our eye off the ball in creating more jobs, improving our educational standards, reducing violent crime and helping those including seniors who find themselves struggling daily to make ends meet.We have serious problems such as the impact of illegal drugs throughout our communities, gang activity, disrespect for traffic rules, and too many young people with negative attitudes even toward their parents. We need to address these problems collectively if there is to be any hope of turning things around. Bermuda can be the jewel of the Atlantic, but only if we confront problems with old fashion intelligence and a willingness to work together. The ball is in our court and what we do with it will decide the outcome.