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International community calls for probe into alleged Syrian chemical attack

International community calls for probe into alleged Syrian chemical attack | JPost | Israel News.

By REUTERS
08/21/2013 18:43
Syrian regime’s ally Russia suggests such attack could be provocation by rebels; UK, France, US to officially request UN investigate alleged gas attack in which hundreds were reportedly killed; Arab League: “Deplorable crime.”

Boy affected by alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria [file]

Boy affected by alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria [file] Photo: REUTERS

The international community on Wednesday called for investigations into reports that troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad had carried out a chemical weapon attack near Damascus.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry called for a fair and professional investigation into the allegations.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said circumstances around the reports, including the presence of UN inspectors in the country, suggested that the attack could be a provocation by the opposition.

“All this cannot but suggest that once again we are dealing with a pre-planned provocation. This is supported by the fact that the criminal act was committed near Damascus at the very moment when a mission of UN experts had successfully started their work of investigating allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons there,” Lukashevich said in a statement.

Russia is a longtime ally and arms supplier to Assad.

Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations chemical weapons inspectors in Syria said reports of a nerve gas attack killing hundreds of people near Damascus should be investigated.

Britain, France and the United States will send a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon later on Wednesday to officially request a UN investigation into the alleged gas attack, a UN diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom told news agency TT that while he had only seen TV footage, the high number of casualties reported sounded suspicious.

“It sounds like something that should be looked into,” he told TT by phone from Damascus. “It will depend on whether any UN member state goes to the secretary general and says we should look at this event. We are in place.”

In response to the reports, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby called for United Nations inspectors to immediately investigate reports of the chemical attack, Egypt’s state news agency said.

“The secretary general said in a statement he was surprised this deplorable crime would happen during the visit of a team of international investigators with the United Nations who are already tasked with investigating chemical weapons use,” the official news agency MENA said.

“He called on the inspectors to head immediately to the eastern Ghouta (suburb of Damascus) to determine what happened.”

Britain said it would raise the reported chemical weapons attack by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad at the United Nations Security Council and called on Damascus to give UN inspectors access to the site.

“I am deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of people, including children, have been killed in airstrikes and a chemical weapons attack on rebel-held areas near Damascus,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement.

Hague said reports of the attack, which has been denied outright by the Syrian government, remained uncorroborated and that Britain was urgently seeking more information.

“But it is clear that if they are verified, it would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria,” he said, adding that Britain would try to hold to account anyone who used chemical weapons or ordered their use.

“I call on the Syrian Government to allow immediate access to the area for the UN team currently investigating previous allegations of chemical weapons use. The UK will be raising this incident at the UN Security Council,” said Hague.

Britain provides non-lethal assistance to rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, but has stopped short of sending them arms and has seen its diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Assad frustrated by Russia and China at the United Nations.

The United States is “deeply concerned” by reports that hundreds of Syrian civilians have been killed in Syria in a chemical attack perpetrated by the government of Bashar Assad, the White House said on Wednesday.

The US will thus formally request that the United Nations “urgently investigate this new allegation,” and has called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

French President Francois Hollande called on United Nations inspectors to visit the site of the alleged chemical attack as well.

“With regard to the information coming out of Syria, the president asks that the UN goes to the site,” Najat Vallaud-Belkacem told a weekly news briefing.

Turkey also called on UN inspectors to look into the Syrian rebel reports and said it was monitoring the situation “with great concern”.

“Light must immediately be shed on these claims and the United Nations mission that was formed to investigate chemical weapons claims in Syria should look into these claims and reveal its findings,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“If these allegations are found to be true, it will be inevitable for the international community to take the necessary stance and give the necessary response to this savagery and crime against humanity,” it said.

Ankara, once an Assad ally but now one of his fiercest critics, has long been concerned about the possible use of Syrian chemical weapons against its own people.

Saudi Arabia also responded to the Syrian rebel reports and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said.

“It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and overcome differences between its members and restore the confidence of the international community by convening immediately to issue a clear and deterrent resolution that will put an end to this human crisis,” Prince Saud said in a statement.

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28 Comments on “International community calls for probe into alleged Syrian chemical attack”

  1. Isaac's avatar Isaac Says:

    August 21, 2013 at 7:48 PM

    What difference it makes? I mean, being killed by a bullet or by gas? Somehow, I find this decrying quite hypocritical

    Reply
  2. Louisiana Steve's avatar Louisiana Steve Says:

    August 21, 2013 at 10:23 PM

    Could be a ‘false flag’ perpetrated by the rebel forces.

    Reply
  3. defencetoday.com's avatar defencetoday.com Says:

    August 21, 2013 at 10:55 PM

    US ‘backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria, blame it on Assad’

    http://news.yahoo.com/us-backed-plan-launch-chemical-weapon-attack-syria-045648224.html

    Reply
  4. Luis's avatar Luis Says:

    August 21, 2013 at 11:01 PM

    I’ll want to apologize to the readers here for it was ”one of these days” and the events just continued in a deadly rhythm. After saying that, two fiery issues must be addressed, in my opinion.

    1. The slaughter in Syria; we still want to learn the issue for a serious analysis with all the consequences and an apparently try from the Obama Administration to ”escape” its on responsibility and ”promise”.
    2. A secondly – but not second – issue simply exploded in the last 48 hours, regarding Obama’s connections to the Brotherhood.
    We discovered in this evening that Obama’s half brother, Malik Obama, has turned to be the ” darling ” of the entire net, with shocking articles about his involvement in extreme Islamic activities.

    Malik Obama is not a ghost figure, someone not so important, he is the half brother of the president of the USA, for God sake, and many websites – like wnd news, for example, but not only – are starting to refer seriously to this figure. I did googled this name and the web is simply full of this man. If Joseph would consider that is a serious matter we’ll see more on this issue very soon. If the readers will find the issue grave enough, they can develop this subject. I myself still don’t believe what I’ve learned already on this issue.

    Reply
  5. defencetoday.com's avatar defencetoday.com Says:

    August 21, 2013 at 11:10 PM

    Exactly 1 year ago today Obama gave his chemical weapons game changer, red line speech.

    21st August 2012

    And today we have an attack, 21st August 2013

    Reply
    • Luis's avatar Luis Says:

      August 21, 2013 at 11:25 PM

      As I can see this development right now, there will be consequences, military ones, to this dramatic situation. Propaganda or not – and of course defence is right about the rebels mastery of this media tool – those pictures, which I saw this morning after the tv reports of the news agencies, those photos of the dead children caused something weird inside me to happen, and there wasn’t only horror, compassion, mercy for the children and the ”normal” feelings that such photos can cause to a normal person. I got the feeling in that very moment that something very big, important and also catastrophic just happened and I also realized that severe military consequences will take place. However you’ll put it, it was a hell of a day, no doubt about it.

      Reply
    • Louisiana Steve's avatar Louisiana Steve Says:

      August 21, 2013 at 11:26 PM

      “Rep. Kerry Bentivolio this week said he’s consulted with lawyers about impeaching President Obama. The Michigan Republican on Monday said it would be “a dream come true” to see the president forced from office over criminal misconduct.”

      http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/317955-gop-lawmaker-says-hes-met-with-lawyers-about-impeaching-obama#ixzz2cdowYduD

      Reply
  6. Thunderbunny's avatar Thunderbunny Says:

    August 22, 2013 at 1:50 AM

    I wouldn’t put too much into this in terms of American ‘reaction’.

    As horrible an atrocity as this is, the horror will continue apace in a slow boil without exploding anytime soon.

    Reply
  7. Luis's avatar Luis Says:

    August 22, 2013 at 1:24 PM

    This morning a powerful explosion rocked a certain area in the capital city of (still) Syria, Damascus. You may wonder, what happened this time? Accordingly with Rotter, the rebels blew up the high command room of the military join operations of Iran and Russia, room which was in a building in the area that was attacked.
    Because of the massive gas attack executed by Assad forces previously, the rebel militants will attack in the future Russian, Iranian and government targets with no discrimination or hesitation, because of the backup Assad got from the Russians in that criminal operation, yesterday(Rotter).

    In our opinion, there is no surprise in this rebel car bomb attack, the opposite is true: we are expecting more operations like this one, on more quality targets, because after yesterday the rebels are feeling that all the rules were broken and all the wild cards entered this bloody, tragic game. The Americans are joking with words, Europe doesn’t give a fu@ken sh!t about dozens of children murdered with gas while they were sleeping so, from now on, we’ll see a much more dangerous game unfolding in Syria(and not only).

    Reply

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