| Local Editor | |||
 Russia said on Wednesday it would oppose deploying Arab troops and imposing sanctions against Syria."For us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support any sanctions", Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, at an annual briefing outlining Russia's foreign policy views. He said that Western powers had already introduced measures against Damascus without consulting Russia or China. Lavrov indicated that Russia would use its UN Security Council veto to block any proposals for military intervention in Syria, following a suggestion by Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to send in Arab troops. "We will hardly be able to prevent (force) if someone really wants to do something like that. But let that be on their own initiative and rest on their conscience". "They will not receive any mandate from the UN Security Council", he said. Lavrov also described the position of Western states over Syria as "one-sided."  On the Iranian issue, Lavrov accused Western powers of trying to "suffocate" the Iranian economy and incite popular discontent with new sanctions such as a proposed oil embargo."Additional unilateral sanctions against Iran have nothing to do with a desire to ensure the regime's commitment to nuclear non-proliferation", Lavrov told reporters. "It is seriously aimed at suffocating the Iranian economy and the well-being of its people, probably in the hope of inciting discontent". Lavrov noted that Russia had evidence that Iran was ready to cooperate more closely with inspectors from the United Nations IAEA nuclear watchdog and was preparing for "serious talks" with the West. He also hinted that Europe and the United States were imposing the measures with the specific purpose of torpedoing new rounds of talks. "Iran is now waiting for an (IAEA) delegation so that it can discuss serious issues. So the sanctions that can now be adopted by the European Union can hardly improve the atmosphere or make the talks productive", said Lavrov. He stressed that all possible sanctions, that could impact Iran's behavior in the nuclear sphere or its cooperation with the IAEA, have been exhausted. | |||
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Published Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Russia will veto any UN Security Council moves to impose sanctions on Syria, or endorse foreign military intervention in the strife-ridden country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
"For us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support any sanctions," Lavrov told reporters, complaining that Western powers had already introduced measures against Damascus without consulting Russia or China.
Lavrov indicated that Russia would use its UN Security Council veto to block any proposals for military intervention in Syria, following a suggestion by Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to send in Arab troops.
"We will hardly be able to prevent (force) if someone really wants to do something like that. But let that be on their own initiative and rest on their conscience."
"They will not receive any mandate from the UN Security Council," he said.
Russia has been unusually vocal in its defense of its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, strongly objecting to "one-sided" Western interference in the 10-month-old crisis.
"Why do we need to stay silent about this? The approach of our Western partners is one-sided," Lavrov said.
Moscow proposed its own resolution condemning both Assad and rebels for the violence. Western powers rejected equating the two parties, arguing the crimes of the regime far outweigh those of the rebels.
France has formed particularly close ties with an opposition umbrella organization – the Syrian National Council (SNC) – while rumors have circulated of French involvement with the Turkish-based armed rebels, the Free Syrian Army.
Haytham al-Manna of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria (NCB) – a rival opposition umbrella group that staunchly opposes foreign intervention, while working for the fall of the Assad regime – accused Paris of sending aid to the rebels earlier in the month.
"At one point, France and Turkey were cooperating to send in aid to the Free Syrian Army through the Turkish border. Now France is using Lebanon’s borders for this," Manna told Al-Akhbar.
Russia's foreign minister complained that the West rejected its draft resolution as it made clear the exclusion of the use of force in resolving the Syrian crisis.
Lavrov also brushed off US complaints concerning Russian arms shipments to Syria. A Russian-operated vessel was stopped by Cypriot officials last week, who said the Syria-bound ship was carrying ammunition.
The United States said it had raised concerns about the ship with Russia.
"We don't consider it necessary to explain ourselves or justify ourselves, because we are not violating any international agreements or any (UN) Security Council resolutions," Lavrov told an annual news conference.
US envoy to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said on Tuesday that the United States had "very grave concern about arms flows into Syria from any source."
She said it was unfortunate that there was no arms embargo against Syria, where the UN says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed since the uprising began last March.
Russia, which along with China blocked a UN Security Council resolution in October that threatened an arms embargo on Syria, says an embargo would cut off supplies to the government while enabling armed opponents to receive weapons illegally.
West stirring trouble in Iran
Continuing his criticism of the West, Lavrov also accused Western nations of attempting to trigger popular discontent in Iran by "strangling" the economy through sanctions.
Lavrov emphasized Russia's opposition to further UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, saying UN sanctions had "exhausted" their potential.
Additional sanctions "are aimed at causing a strangling effect on the Iranian economy and... the Iranian people, probably in the hope of provoking discontent," Lavrov said.
Russia appears to be standing firm on the Iranian and Syrian crises as tension rises with the West on both fronts.
Fears of a military confrontation in the Persian Gulf have escalated in recent weeks, as an American diplomatic offensive attempts to choke off Iranian oil exports.
Washington is pressuring Asian powers to abide by its sanctions targeting Iran's central bank, which are designed to make it difficult for countries to pay Iran for oil trade.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – through which 40 percent of the world's oil passes – if the West succeeds in cutting off its oil exports.
The US and Britain have vowed to take action if Iran moves on the strait, with military posturing from the three nations raising fears of a clash in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab states are coordinating with the US on the new sanctions, pledging to increase oil output to woo Iran's Asian customers.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP, Reuters)
"For us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support any sanctions," Lavrov told reporters, complaining that Western powers had already introduced measures against Damascus without consulting Russia or China.
Lavrov indicated that Russia would use its UN Security Council veto to block any proposals for military intervention in Syria, following a suggestion by Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to send in Arab troops.
"We will hardly be able to prevent (force) if someone really wants to do something like that. But let that be on their own initiative and rest on their conscience."
"They will not receive any mandate from the UN Security Council," he said.
Russia has been unusually vocal in its defense of its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, strongly objecting to "one-sided" Western interference in the 10-month-old crisis.
"Why do we need to stay silent about this? The approach of our Western partners is one-sided," Lavrov said.
Moscow proposed its own resolution condemning both Assad and rebels for the violence. Western powers rejected equating the two parties, arguing the crimes of the regime far outweigh those of the rebels.
France has formed particularly close ties with an opposition umbrella organization – the Syrian National Council (SNC) – while rumors have circulated of French involvement with the Turkish-based armed rebels, the Free Syrian Army.
Haytham al-Manna of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria (NCB) – a rival opposition umbrella group that staunchly opposes foreign intervention, while working for the fall of the Assad regime – accused Paris of sending aid to the rebels earlier in the month.
"At one point, France and Turkey were cooperating to send in aid to the Free Syrian Army through the Turkish border. Now France is using Lebanon’s borders for this," Manna told Al-Akhbar.
Russia's foreign minister complained that the West rejected its draft resolution as it made clear the exclusion of the use of force in resolving the Syrian crisis.
Lavrov also brushed off US complaints concerning Russian arms shipments to Syria. A Russian-operated vessel was stopped by Cypriot officials last week, who said the Syria-bound ship was carrying ammunition.
The United States said it had raised concerns about the ship with Russia.
"We don't consider it necessary to explain ourselves or justify ourselves, because we are not violating any international agreements or any (UN) Security Council resolutions," Lavrov told an annual news conference.
US envoy to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said on Tuesday that the United States had "very grave concern about arms flows into Syria from any source."
She said it was unfortunate that there was no arms embargo against Syria, where the UN says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed since the uprising began last March.
Russia, which along with China blocked a UN Security Council resolution in October that threatened an arms embargo on Syria, says an embargo would cut off supplies to the government while enabling armed opponents to receive weapons illegally.
West stirring trouble in Iran
Continuing his criticism of the West, Lavrov also accused Western nations of attempting to trigger popular discontent in Iran by "strangling" the economy through sanctions.
Lavrov emphasized Russia's opposition to further UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, saying UN sanctions had "exhausted" their potential.
Additional sanctions "are aimed at causing a strangling effect on the Iranian economy and... the Iranian people, probably in the hope of provoking discontent," Lavrov said.
Russia appears to be standing firm on the Iranian and Syrian crises as tension rises with the West on both fronts.
Fears of a military confrontation in the Persian Gulf have escalated in recent weeks, as an American diplomatic offensive attempts to choke off Iranian oil exports.
Washington is pressuring Asian powers to abide by its sanctions targeting Iran's central bank, which are designed to make it difficult for countries to pay Iran for oil trade.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – through which 40 percent of the world's oil passes – if the West succeeds in cutting off its oil exports.
The US and Britain have vowed to take action if Iran moves on the strait, with military posturing from the three nations raising fears of a clash in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab states are coordinating with the US on the new sanctions, pledging to increase oil output to woo Iran's Asian customers.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP, Reuters)
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