In other words, the usual.Russia Rejects U.S., Europe Plan to Enforce Syrian UN Resolution
Russia rejected a U.S. and European plan to include enforcement in a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syrian chemical weapons’ disarmament, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.Western actions are “irresponsible and unprofessional,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russia’s Channel One published on the Foreign Ministry’s website today. They want to “drive through a resolution based on force” and that blames President Bashar al-Assad for everything, Lavrov said.The U.S., France and the U.K. want a resolution next week that provides enforcement to the terms of the Geneva accord between the U.S. and Russia. Efforts to agree on a resolution have encountered headwinds from Russia, Assad’s strongest ally, which opposes any measure that alludes to a threat of force.The Security Council is set to negotiate on a resolution next week, as world leaders travel to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Sept. 20 it had “received an initial disclosure from the Syrian government of its chemical weapons program.” A Sept. 14 U.S.-Russian agreement, which averted an American military strike on Assad’s government, called for an itemization of Syria’s poison gas stocks by yesterday.
So, why after Syria complies does the OPCW play coy?
The executive council of the chemical weapons organization in The Hague, which would oversee Syria’s disarmament, said Sept. 20 it has postponed a meeting on Syria that was scheduled for tomorrow, (Monday Sept.23/13) aiming for a new date in the middle of next week.
Why did the OPCW "postpone’ a meeting"aiming for a date in the middle of next week’?It would seem there was political pressure, in the form of thumbscrews, from the NATO allied warmongers.How else to explain the postponement of such an important meeting at such a critical time.
“Our American partners are trying to blackmail us,” Lavrov said. The U.S. is saying that “unless Russia accepts to adopt this resolution under Chapter 7, we will stop the work of the OPCW in the Hague.”“This is absolutely contrary to what we agreed with John Kerry --- first the decision of the OPCW and only then a resolution in the UN Security Council to support it, but not under Chapter 7,” Lavrov said.
Russia is also resisting any attempt to assign blame to Assad’s regime for an Aug. 21 chemical attack that the U.S. says killed 1,400 people, including more than 400 children.The U.S. and France hadn’t presented any evidence to Russia that Syria government forces carried out the Aug. 21 chemical attack, Lavrov said in the interview. “All information they have released so far to back up their claim hasn’t been convincing,” he said.
Of course, I concur completely. The information regarding Ghouta is absolutely not convincing at all! Meanwhile, the Russian embassy was shelled and three people were injured.
Three diplomats were injured in a mortar shell targeting the Russian embassy in Damascus on Sunday as Syria promptly handed over a preliminary report of its chemical weapons in fulfillment of its commitment made earlier.
In the mortar attack, one shell was fired by militants in the hotspot district of Brazeh onto the Russian embassy compound.
The Russian embassy in Damascus has been targeted several times by the opposition militants who are trying to overthrow Assad's government.
Russia is ready to send a limited number of troops to Syria
Russia is ready to send a limited number of troops and observers to Syria as part of a multi-national force to guarantee security of the international experts on chemical weapons, Russia's Foreign Minister said Sunday.