Russia accused Western powers of attempting to delay a United Nations probe into the recent use of chemical weapons by foreign-backed militants in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
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During a Wednesday session at the UN Security Council, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin voiced Moscow’s support for the Syrian government’s call for an independent inquiry into the chemical attack by foreign-backed militants in Aleppo. |
However, France and Britain reportedly cited new claims by the Syrian
opposition that there had been two chemical weapons attacks, one in Aleppo and
another in the capital Damascus, demanding that both be investigated.
The Russian envoy strongly disagreed with the idea of focusing the urgently
needed UN probe on the recent claims, which he described as “propaganda
balloons.”
“As far as I know, there is only one allegation of the use of chemical
weapons.... There have been no other allegations,” said Churkin, who holds the
rotating presidency of the Council for March.
“To me, a concern which I expressed in the Council, was that this was really
a way to delay the need for immediate, urgent investigation of allegations
pertaining to March 19 [chemical attack] by raising all sorts of issues,” he
added.
The Russian diplomat further questioned the credibility of the allegation
about the second chemical attack in Syria, saying, “Instead of launching those
propaganda balloons I think it's much better to get our focus right.”
Syria's Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Ja'afari also said he was not
aware of an alleged second chemical attack in the country.
“This (second) allegation was set up on purpose to torpedo the investigation
on the real use of chemical weapons which took place in Aleppo,” Ja’afari
said.
On March 19, at least 25 people were killed and many others injured when
militants fired missiles “containing a chemical substance” into Khan al-Assal
village near Syria’s northwestern city of Aleppo, according to a report by the
official Syrian news agency SANA.
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Source: Websites
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21-03-2013 - 11:55 Last updated 21-03-2013 - 11:55 |
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Syria Requests for UN Chemical Attack Inquiry
Local Editor
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Syria on Wednesday called on the UN secretary general to
set up an "independent" investigation into the news that opposition rebels have
used chemical weapons in an attack, its UN envoy said.
Western diplomats claimed there was no confirmation that chemical weapons had
been used by either side in the two-year-old conflict.
However, the Syrian government confirms chemical arms were used Tuesday in
the town of Khan al-Assal near the conflict hotspot of Aleppo.
Syria's UN envoy said he had delivered a letter which "requested the
secretary general of the United Nations to form a specialized, independent and
neutral technical mission to investigate the use by the terrorist groups
operating in Syria of chemical weapons yesterday against civilians" in Khan
al-Assal.
The Syrian opposition has accused government forces of using chemical weapons
and also demanded an independent investigation.
UN Security Council nations are remaining cautious about the charges.
"We simply don't have any information to corroborate, verify, substantiate"
the allegations, a senior UN diplomat said. |
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Source: AFP
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20-03-2013 - 21:11 Last updated 20-03-2013 - 21:11 |
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River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian
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