From what can be gathered within a myriad of media reports is that Sec. Kerry / POTUS have agreed to leave “U.S. threat of force” out of U.N. resolution against Syria for non-compliance.   Meaning if Assad does not comply with U.N. mandate to disarm himself of chemical weapons, the U.S. had conceded a strike by us will not be one of the consequences.
Instead, the “stick” per se’, to non-compliance from Syria, would be a return to the U.N. Security Council for a resolution allowing the “use of force”.  
D’oh..  Russia can, by structural Security Council set-up, veto any such follow-up proposal.

[judo photo credit]  (Via Politico)  Journalists emerging from a closed-door briefing at the White House Friday afternoon were informed that President Barack Obama won’t insist that a U.N. resolution governing Syria’s surrender of chemical weapons include a threat of military force if President Bashar Assad doesn’t follow through.
Reports sourced to “senior administration officials” began emerging moments after the journalists were seen coming out of the White House session.
“Obama will not insist on UN threat of force to ensure that Syria lives up to CW deal but will seek other consequences, officials said,” New York Times reporter Peter Baker said on Twitter. CNN and NBC carried similar reports, with the Los Angeles Times attributing the news specifically to “a background briefing.”
According to the reporters, Obama aides did say that Obama would retain the right to consider military action even if such language isn’t in the U.N. agreement.  (read more)