Russia Welcomes UN Decision to Launch
Probe into Incident of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria
Mar 21, 2013
MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister,
Gennady Gatilov, expressed Russia’s welcome of the decision taken by the UN
Secretary General to conduct inquiry into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“We positively received the news
about the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon quickly meeting the Syrian
government’s request to conduct an investigation into the incident of using
chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal in Alepo Countryside on March 19,” Gatilov
told journalists in Moscow.
Earlier, the UN Secretary
General announce that the UN intends to launch an international probe into the
incident of launching a chemical weapon by terrorist group on Khan al-Assal area
upon the Syrian government’s request.
“I have decided to conduct a
United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in
Syria,” Ban Ki-moon said according to Reuters.
He told reporters that the
investigation will focus on “the specific incident brought to my attention by
the Syrian government.”
He noted that the UN will
cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the
World Health Organization.
“There is much work to do and
this will not happen overnight… It’s obviously a difficult mission. I intend for
this investigation to start as soon as practically possible,” said Ban Ki-moon.
Russia Expresses Readiness
to Participate in Investigation Committee
Earlier, the Russian Foreign
Ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, announced that Russian is ready to
send experts to join a committee to investigate into chemical weapons use in
Syria in case such a committee was formed.
“In case such a committee or
experts delegation was formed, we would gladly propose for our experts to work
within it,” said Lukashevich.
He warned against the intention
of the “Syrian opposition” to bring military intervention in Syria, saying this
would cause “bloody chaos”.
“This opposition has placed in
front of it the mission of bringing foreign intervention after it became certain
of the extend of support extended by its sponsors outside Syria…but we can’t
feel worried by such dispositions,” Lukashevich added.
The Russian diplomat said that
“There is nothing for Russia to discuss with the so-called ‘head of the interim
government’,” reiterating however Moscow’s readiness to continue dialogue with
the “Syrian opposition” figures who are interested in the peaceful settlement.
“That who is called the new head
of the interim government rejects any possibility for dialogue with the Syrian
government and calls for foreign intervention as soon as possible. So what issue
could we discuss with him,” said Lukashevich.
He pointed out that Moscow
considers it a must to implement the Geneva Statement on Syria and not talk
about expanding the circle of participants in Geneva dialogue.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister,
Mikhail Bogdanov, and Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow, Riyad Haddad, discussed the
situation in Syria in light of the information on terrorist groups using
chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal.
Both sides stressed the need to
conduct an independent investigation into this incident.
Terrorists on Tuesday launched a
rocket with chemical materials from Kafar Dael in al-Neirab area on Khan
al-Assal, killing 25 people and injuring scores of others.
Churkin Calls For Neutral, Thorough And
Objective Investigation
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador,
President of the U.N. Security Council for March, Vitaly Churkin, reiterated his
country’s call for holding a neutral, thorough and objective investigation into
the terrorists’ use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Russia Today Website quoted
Churkin as saying after closed consultations at the UN Security Council on
Wednesday, “We ask the Syrian government to investigate the incident and we have
experts from several countries including Russia…I think that the UN
Secretary-General will form a team encompassing highly experienced members, and
we expect that this investigation will be neutral and objective…This issue will
be considered carefully.”
He indicated that France and
Britain have resorted to an undue tactic which aims at hindering the
consultations similar to what happened in Iraq when the US tried to justify its
invasion of this country through fabricating information claiming that Iraq
possesses mass destruction weapons.
He added that “he cited similar
examples about what happened in Iraq when the Council’s members talked about the
necessity of sending experts to Syria to investigate the issue of chemical
weapons in general,” and not only about the accident of firing a rocket with
chemical materials on Khan al-Assal in Aleppo by the terrorist groups.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky
said that the UN has received a written request from Syria’s Permanent Envoy to
the UN Bashar al-Jaafari to hold an investigation.
The Agence France-Presse quoted
France’s UN Ambassador, Gerard Aro, as saying following last night UN session
that the issue is one of conducting investigation in the whole Syrian
territories to shed light on what he described as “allegations”.
For his part, Assistant of
Britain’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Philip Praham, that other
countries could agree to the request for investigation.
Chizhov Warns Against Repeating Libyan Scenario in
Syria
Russia’s Permanent
Representative to the European Union (EU), Vladimir Chizhov warned that
repeating the Libyan scenario by the NATO in Syria will be a “flagrant strategic
mistake.”
Answering a question on the
intentions of repeating the Libyan scenario in Syria, Chizhov said “If there is
an element of the political pressure, I don’t think that this situation will
serve in solving the issues, and the /worst/ is that it will be an outrageous
strategic mistake.”
He indicated that the mistake
also lies in the agreement on implementing what has been announced by France and
Britain on lifting the embargo imposed by the EU on importing weapons to the
“Syrian opposition”.
R. al-Jazaeri/ H.
Said
Iran Condemns Chemical
Attack Against Khan Al-Asal
Mar 21, 2013
TEHRAN, (SANA)- Iran on Wednesday strongly
condemned firing a rocket carrying chemical materials on Khan al-Asal by the
armed terrorist groups, describing it as “a hostile step against humanity”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, expressed his country’s solidarity with the
families of the victims.
In a press statement,
Mehmanparast held the perpetrator of the crime and the countries which support
them responsible for such crimes.
Affirming its principled stances
on the necessity of adhering to the peaceful compromise to the crisis in Syria,
Iran considered that the stability in the region depends on the commitment to
the political option in solving the crisis, he said.
He asserted that Iran calls upon
all human rights organizations and institutions to condemn this crime and to
shoulder their responsibilities.
The armed terrorist groups on
Tuesday fired a rocket carrying chemical materials on Khan al-Asad area in
Aleppo, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.
Iranian Foreign Ministry
Summons Swiss Charge D’affaires, Strongly Condemns Use of Chemical Weapons by
Terrorists
The Iranian Foreign Ministry
summoned Swiss Charge D’affaires – who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, and
told him Iran’s strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by the armed
terrorist groups in Syria, holding the countries which support these groups
accountable for this dangerous act.
Foreign Ministry’s Assistant
Director General for Political and International Affairs Mohsen Naziri said, “
The Islamic Republic of Iran has frequently warned against such crimes. It
strongly urges the U.S. government to prevent chemical weapons from falling into
the hands of Syria rebels.”
H. Zain/ R.al-Jazaeri/
F.L
Syrian Students,
Community Abroad Denounce Terrorists’ Use of Chemical Weapon in Khan
Al-Asal
Mar 21, 2013
CAPITALS,(SANA)-Syrian students in Slovakia
strongly condemned the heinous crime perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups
against the citizens in Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside where they used a
poisonous chemical weapon that is banned in the international, ethical and
humanitarian levels.
Syrian Students National Union/
Slovakia Branch stressed in a statement that “The armed groups and the countries
which support them have trespassed all the values when they committed this crime
which comes in the framework of a new and dangerous conspiratorial series.”
“This crime aims at undermining
the political process and the national dialogue along with the political program
of solving the crisis,” the statement added.
It reiterated “The Syrian
students’ confidence that such brutal crimes will fail in undermining the will
of the Syrian people who aspire for solving the crisis and building the new
Syria that is stronger than ever.”
It also called for “Stopping the
support and the finance of the armed terrorist groups which aim to undermine the
security and stability of Syria.”
In their statement, the students
called upon the UN to investigate how the armed terrorist groups obtained the
chemical weapons in a way that is contradicted with the international laws.
They also called upon all the
parties to sit to the dialogue table to get out of the crisis.
Syrian Students,Community in Czech Republic:
Countries Supporting Terrorism Responsible for Khan al-Asal
Attack
Syrian community and students in
the Czech Republic also condemned the chemical attack by the armed terrorist
groups against Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside.
In a press statement, members of the Syrian community in the
Czech Republic said that this attack and the Arab and Western reactions towards
it have divulged again the malevolence of these groups and the hypocrisy of the
West which backs them and guarantees their security in a time when it claims
that it is keen on the international security and stability.
The statement indicated that this dangerous escalation comes in
the framework of the plan of brining the foreign interference in Syria.
The community expressed confidence that this new crime will
enhance the steadfastness of the Syrians and make them more determined to
continue the battle against the Gulf-Western axis of evil and their tools.
For their part, the Syrian students in a similar statement held
all the countries which support terrorism responsible for the crime committed by
the terrorists in Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside.
They called upon the UN to form a specialized and neutral
technical mission to investigate this new crime.
They affirmed that the political program to solve the crisis
proposed by the Syrian leadership and sitting to the dialogue table is the only
solution to restoring peace, security and stability to Syria.
R. al-Jazaeri /
Syrian Communist Party
(Unified) Condemns Terrorists’ Chemical Attack in Aleppo
Mar 20, 2013
DAMASCUS, (SANA)
– The Syrian Communist Party (Unified) condemned on Wednesday the armed
terrorist groups’ launch of a missile loaded with chemical materials against
Khan al-Assal people in Aleppo countryside.
In a statement, the Party said that this
criminal act comes after the terrorists failed to achieve any military gains in
confronting the Syrian army, and it comes within a dangerous escalation of
events and a qualitative leap in confronting terrorists.
The statement added that this crime coincides
with the escalation made by some Arab League members, particularly Saudi Arabia
and Qatar to legitimize the flow of weapons to terrorists in Syria, and it
coincides with the efforts exerted by France and Britain to legitimize smuggling
weapons to terrorists in Syria.
F.L
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