Russia Urges Syria To Allow UN 'Chemical' Probe
Russia Urges Syria To Allow UN 'Chemical' Probe, Syria's staunchest ally has joined international calls for UN investigators to be allowed access to the site of an alleged massacre where it is claimed 1,300 people have been killed in a chemical weapons attack.
Russia, which has suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces, urged the Syrian government and the United Nations to agree on a visit by the experts, who were already in the country to examine previous claims of chemical weapons use in the two-and-a-half year civil war.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Syria's position on sending inspectors to the site of the reported attack should be respected, but dismissed the suggestion that Russia would object to such an investigation.
"We, quite the opposite, have an interest in the investigation into what happened (to) happen objectively," he said.
The Syrian government offered no immediate public response to the call amid a Cabinet reshuffle, but is now under mounting pressure to permit a probe by the UN team before any potential evidence is lost.
Survivors from what activists say is a gas attack rest inside a mosque in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus August 21, 2013. Syrian activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of launching a... more
1 / 12 Reuters | Photo by STRINGER / REUTERS
ClosePrevious imageNext image The Syrian opposition, Germany and Turkey on Thursday also joined demands from Britain, France and the United States for the UN inspectors to be given "immediate and unrestricted access" to the area "to try and establish the truth".
The United Nations is also facing growing international pressure to act if claims of the massacre are confirmed.
Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties have been circulated on YouTube.
The Security Council said clarity was needed of the reports, but stopped short of explicitly demanding a probe by UN investigators.
However, UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon called on the Syrian government to allow the UN team to swiftly investigate the reports.
Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger UN press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.
France earlier raised the possibility of intervention by saying the international community would need to respond with "force" if allegations that Syrian President Bashar al Assad's government was responsible were confirmed.
"If it is proven, France's position is that there must be a reaction, a reaction that could take the form of a reaction with force," French foreign minister Laurent Fabius told BFM-TV.
"There are possibilities for responding," he said without elaborating.
He added that if the UN Security Council could not make a decision, one would have to be taken "in other ways".
Mr Fabius called the alleged chemical attack "a horrendous tragedy" not seen since thousands of Iraqi Kurds were gassed by Saddam Hussein's forces at Halabja in 1988.
Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said "all red lines" had been crossed and called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to urge the the Security Council to "carry out its responsibilities".
The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus on Wednesday.
Russia, which has suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces, urged the Syrian government and the United Nations to agree on a visit by the experts, who were already in the country to examine previous claims of chemical weapons use in the two-and-a-half year civil war.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Syria's position on sending inspectors to the site of the reported attack should be respected, but dismissed the suggestion that Russia would object to such an investigation.
"We, quite the opposite, have an interest in the investigation into what happened (to) happen objectively," he said.
The Syrian government offered no immediate public response to the call amid a Cabinet reshuffle, but is now under mounting pressure to permit a probe by the UN team before any potential evidence is lost.
Survivors from what activists say is a gas attack rest inside a mosque in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus August 21, 2013. Syrian activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of launching a... more
1 / 12 Reuters | Photo by STRINGER / REUTERS
ClosePrevious imageNext image The Syrian opposition, Germany and Turkey on Thursday also joined demands from Britain, France and the United States for the UN inspectors to be given "immediate and unrestricted access" to the area "to try and establish the truth".
The United Nations is also facing growing international pressure to act if claims of the massacre are confirmed.
Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties have been circulated on YouTube.
The Security Council said clarity was needed of the reports, but stopped short of explicitly demanding a probe by UN investigators.
However, UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon called on the Syrian government to allow the UN team to swiftly investigate the reports.
Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger UN press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.
France earlier raised the possibility of intervention by saying the international community would need to respond with "force" if allegations that Syrian President Bashar al Assad's government was responsible were confirmed.
"If it is proven, France's position is that there must be a reaction, a reaction that could take the form of a reaction with force," French foreign minister Laurent Fabius told BFM-TV.
"There are possibilities for responding," he said without elaborating.
He added that if the UN Security Council could not make a decision, one would have to be taken "in other ways".
Mr Fabius called the alleged chemical attack "a horrendous tragedy" not seen since thousands of Iraqi Kurds were gassed by Saddam Hussein's forces at Halabja in 1988.
Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said "all red lines" had been crossed and called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to urge the the Security Council to "carry out its responsibilities".
The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus on Wednesday.
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