The crisis in Syria has spawned a global game of chess with diplomatic gymnastics, dangerous weapons, and potentially deadly consequences. There has been political and military maneuvering everywhere from London, to Moscow, to Paris, to Washington, to Tehran, to Jerusalem and beyond.

The White House told reporters that President Barack Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday, the latest in a growing list of world leaders he has reached out to on Syria. One of those leaders likely on Obama's speed dial is British Prime Minister David Cameron, who spent Thursday in Parliament trying to ease the political anxiety over intervention in Syria.

"The question before the House today is how to respond to one of the most abhorrent uses of chemical weapons in a century," Cameron said. "I am deeply mindful of the lessons of previous conflicts, and in particular the deep concerns in the country caused by what went wrong with the Iraq conflict in 2003. But this is not like Iraq. What we are seeing in Syria is fundamentally different."

Time magazine has a cover story on Obama's dilemma in Syria, dubbing the president, "The Unhappy Warrior," saying he is not pleased with the decisions he has to make.

Russia, Iran, and China are completely opposed to action, "that part we're particularly clear on," said Bobby Ghosh, editor at Time magazine. "As the president tries to pull together a coalition of the willing, that's a little more complicated."
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