Updated: August 31, 2013 (6:40 PM est)
Source: Russia Today
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Syria 'chemical weapons' crisis
Saturday, August 31, 2013
22:25 GMT: Ahead of the congressional debate on a possible Syrian strike, US Secretary of State John Kerry will try to win the hearts of Americans by arguing the administration’s case on five major US talk shows, politico reported citing a White House source. Kerry is planning to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press," ABC's "This Week," CBS's "Face the Nation," CNN's "State of the Union" and "Fox News Sunday."
21:28 GMT: President Obama will discuss the case for action on Syria with world leaders at the G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia next week, US officials said.
20:40 GMT: Analyzing the data from the site of the alleged Syrian chemical attack last week will take up to 3 weeks, the UN investigative team announced Saturday.
"The evidence collected by the team will now undergo laboratory analysis and technical evaluation according to the established and recognized procedures and standards," the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement. "These procedures may take up to three weeks."
The team which returned to The Hague from Syria included nine experts from the Organization for the OPC and three from the World Health Organization.
20:25 GMT: President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande have agreed “the international community must deliver a resolute message to the Assad regime - and others who would consider using chemical weapons - that these crimes are unacceptable and those who violate this international norm will be held accountable by the world," the White House said in a statement.
In a phone call on Saturday, Obama informed Hollande that he would seek congressional approval for US military action.
Hollande in his turn informed the US president of “his determination to act to sanction the regime," a source close to the French President told Reuters. "Each country's pace of action must above all be respected. It's important for the Americans to have the green light from Congress," the source said.
19:17 GMT: US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmed Assi al-Jarba to underscore President Barack Obama's "commitment to holding the Assad regime accountable for its chemical weapons attack,” a senior State Department official told Reuters.
18:39 GMT: The US House of Representatives will consider the issue of a possible military strike against Syria when it returns from recess, starting September 9, the Republican delegates announced Saturday.
"We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement.
"In consultation with the president, we expect the House to consider a measure the week of September 9th," said the release. "This provides the President time to make his case to Congress and the American people."
16:50 GMT: A UN spokesperson has announced that the
UN is not pulling out of Syria and that humanitarian work in the country will
continue. The UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon will be briefed by the head of
the chemical weapons team on Sunday.
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky went on to say that the UN team will return to Syria in order to examine all claims of chemical attacks.
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky went on to say that the UN team will return to Syria in order to examine all claims of chemical attacks.
15:37 GMT: The Syrian
Prime Minister has stated readiness for any possible foreign strikes against
it, saying that the country has its "finger on the trigger."
15:36 GMT: Iran has warned that any strike on Syria by the US would trigger reactions "beyond" Syria, according to AFP
15:36 GMT: Iran has warned that any strike on Syria by the US would trigger reactions "beyond" Syria, according to AFP
14:07 GMT: Thousands streaming towards Trafalgar Square to
oppose Obama’s war in Syria.
13:24 GMT: The White House said senior US administration officials would hold “unclassified conference calls” on Syria with the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate Republican Conference, Reuters reported.
The calls are part of "the Administration's consultations regarding the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons in Syria on August 21," an unnamed White House official said, adding that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Admiral James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would also take part in the conference calls.
12:13 GMT: Foreign ministers from Arab countries are
expected to discuss Syria at a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, Arab League deputy
chief Ahmed Ben Helli told reporters. The negotiations were initially planned
for Tuesday, but he said the meeting had been brought forward "in light
of rapid developments in the Syria situation and based on the request of
several Arab states."
09:28 GMT: The Syrian government said that it
expected a military attack imminently, and it was ready to respond in kind.
"We are
expecting an attack at any moment. We are ready to retaliate at any
moment," AFP cited a
Syrian security official, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying.
04:55 GMT: UN chemical weapons experts have
reportedly crossed into neighboring Lebanon after finishing the investigation
in Damascus.
03:01 GMT: UN chemical inspectors have departed from their hotel in central
Damascus early Saturday morning and are currently on their way to Lebanon.
01:39 GMT: All Senate Republicans will be briefed on
the potential US involvement in Syria during a conference call with the White
House Saturday after a request from Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell,
according to a new report.
McConnell has met
with White House officials to discuss the Syrian government’s suspected use of
chemical weapons, but said Friday it is important for every Republican lawmaker
to learn the details of the situation.
US President Obama met with top Congressional leaders in a conference
call Thursday to discuss the possibility of US forces launching a missile
strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad. After the call Obama said the
attack was a “challenge to the world” that threatens US allies in the region.
Friday, August 30, 2013
23:55 GMT: A ship carrying several hundred US Marines
and V-22 Ospreys received order to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea,
though officials told ABC News it is not yet part of planning for a potential
strike against Syria.
The USS San Antonio is in the Mediterranean for a six-month stint assisting US Africa Command. The amphibious ship was told this week to head for a port call at a US naval base at the Greek island of Crete.
The ship joins five US Navy destroyers currently in the eastern Mediterranean that have capabilities of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, which US officials have said would be the likely method of attack on Syria.
The USS San Antonio is in the Mediterranean for a six-month stint assisting US Africa Command. The amphibious ship was told this week to head for a port call at a US naval base at the Greek island of Crete.
The ship joins five US Navy destroyers currently in the eastern Mediterranean that have capabilities of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, which US officials have said would be the likely method of attack on Syria.
22:34 GMT: The United Nations Security Council may
have to wait as long as two weeks before reviewing the final results of an
analysis of samples taken from where chemical weapons were used in Syria,
diplomats told Reuters on Friday.
22:13 GMT: Washington’s statements threatening to use military force against Syria
unilaterally are unacceptable, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich said in a statement.
21:45 GMT: US House Speaker John Boehner has not
ruled out calling the House of Representatives back to Washington for a vote on
Syrian intervention, his spokesman told NBC News. Congress is currently on a
five-week recess.
21:30 GMT: Iraqi Shi’ite militia group al-Nujaba
claims it will target United States interests in Iraq should the US carry out
military strikes in Syria, Reuters reported.
"All their
interests and facilities in Iraq and the region will be targeted by our
militants if the United States insists on attacking Syria," said a
spokesman for al-Nujaba, a group consisting in part of Shi’ites who have fought
alongside pro-Syrian government forces. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is
from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
21:00 GMT: US President Barack Obama discussed
Syrian options Friday in phone calls with British Prime Minister David Cameron
and French President Francois Hollande, according to top US officials. The
consultations follow Thursday’s vote by the British Parliament to reject
participation in any potential strikes against Syria.
19:05 GMT: Turkey PM Tayyip Erdogan says any
operation must follow the Kosovo model, and include a force on the ground. "We
are not happy with a limited operation. It shouldn't just be a day or two of
strikes, and then nothing. We need regime change in Syria."
18:40 GMT: Obama has stated that the US is still in
the planning process regarding a response to the situation in Syria. He stated
that his preference would have been for the international community to move
forward.
He called the
alleged chemical attack "a challenge to the world" and a threat to
security interests. While the US President has made no final decision on a
course of action, he stated that the government was contemplating a "limited
narrow act."
18:23 GMT: The White House also released a map of Ghouta, displaying the areas affected by the alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack.
18:23 GMT: The White House also released a map of Ghouta, displaying the areas affected by the alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack.
17:36 GMT: A report released Friday says that US intelligence services
have “high confidence” Syrian government forces used chemical weapons multiple
times during the last year.
However, Washington cannot yet declare with 100 per cent certainty that President Bashar Assad’s regime was responsible for the poison gas attack on August 21 in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, the report said.
“Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US intelligence community can take short of confirmation,” the report reads in part. “We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.”
In the Ghouta attack 1,429 people died, including 426 children, the report stated.
17:10 GMT: UN investigators have finished gathering samples of evidence related to the suspected chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people in a Damascus suburb last week and are packing up to leave, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
The experts will be leaving Syria on Saturday, but will return later to investigate several other alleged poison gas attacks that have taken place in the country during its 2-1/2-year civil war, he added.
16:14 GMT: NATO will not take part in military intervention in Syria, the alliance’s Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Denmark’s Politiken newspaper.
“I don’t foresee any NATO role in an international response to the regime,” Rasmussen said, adding that individual countries would decide whether to take part in any military action.
He stressed there could be “no doubt” that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was responsible for using toxic gas against civilians near Damascus on August 21, as it "had a store of chemical weapons and the means needed to perform an attack."
However, NATO’s Secretary-General said he didn’t think intervention was the best way to solve the crisis, adding that a political solution would be “sustainable.”
16:02 GMT: Nearly 80 percent of Americans say President Barack Obama should receive approval from Congress before ordering military intervention in Syria, according to a new poll by NBC News. Fifty percent of Americans believe the US should not intervene. Meanwhile, 50 percent support military action if it is limited to launching cruise missiles from US warships, but 44 percent said they oppose such intervention.
15:43 The UN investigators are finishing their investigation in Ghouta, the Damascus suburb that was the site of an alleged chemical attack, and will leave Syria by Saturday, ITAR-TASS news agency reported, saying the information was confirmed to their correspondent at the scene by UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
11:38 GMT: The Obama administration is to release declassified intelligence on chemical weapons in Syria today, a top official told CBS News.
However, Washington cannot yet declare with 100 per cent certainty that President Bashar Assad’s regime was responsible for the poison gas attack on August 21 in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, the report said.
“Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US intelligence community can take short of confirmation,” the report reads in part. “We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.”
In the Ghouta attack 1,429 people died, including 426 children, the report stated.
17:10 GMT: UN investigators have finished gathering samples of evidence related to the suspected chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people in a Damascus suburb last week and are packing up to leave, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
The experts will be leaving Syria on Saturday, but will return later to investigate several other alleged poison gas attacks that have taken place in the country during its 2-1/2-year civil war, he added.
16:14 GMT: NATO will not take part in military intervention in Syria, the alliance’s Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Denmark’s Politiken newspaper.
“I don’t foresee any NATO role in an international response to the regime,” Rasmussen said, adding that individual countries would decide whether to take part in any military action.
He stressed there could be “no doubt” that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was responsible for using toxic gas against civilians near Damascus on August 21, as it "had a store of chemical weapons and the means needed to perform an attack."
However, NATO’s Secretary-General said he didn’t think intervention was the best way to solve the crisis, adding that a political solution would be “sustainable.”
16:02 GMT: Nearly 80 percent of Americans say President Barack Obama should receive approval from Congress before ordering military intervention in Syria, according to a new poll by NBC News. Fifty percent of Americans believe the US should not intervene. Meanwhile, 50 percent support military action if it is limited to launching cruise missiles from US warships, but 44 percent said they oppose such intervention.
15:43 The UN investigators are finishing their investigation in Ghouta, the Damascus suburb that was the site of an alleged chemical attack, and will leave Syria by Saturday, ITAR-TASS news agency reported, saying the information was confirmed to their correspondent at the scene by UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
11:38 GMT: The Obama administration is to release declassified intelligence on chemical weapons in Syria today, a top official told CBS News.
10:20 GMT: The German government has ruled out
participation in any military action. It will not consider any "military
participation and still aren't doing so," government spokesman Steffen
Seibert told reporters.
09:58 GMT: Russia has said it will make all efforts
to stave off any “military scenario” against Syria.
Moscow “does not understand” why UN team should leave Syria after investigating only one site of an alleged chemical attack, statement issued by the Kremlin reads.
Moscow “does not understand” why UN team should leave Syria after investigating only one site of an alleged chemical attack, statement issued by the Kremlin reads.
09:41 GMT: United Nations inspectors have headed to
a hospital in central Damascus to meet local doctors, Reuters reports, citing a
witness who added that team members “were not carrying body armor,
indicating they would not cross into rebel-held territory.”
09:20 GMT: France says despite a British
parliamentary vote against military action in Syria, it may take measures
against the ruling regime for an apparent chemical weapons attack even without
the UK’s involvement.
Speaking to
French daily Le Monde, President Hollande did not rule out that military
intervention in Syria may take place by Wednesday, when the parliament is to
meet in an extraordinary session to discuss the issue.
08:42 GMT: Al Arabiya reports opposition claims that
the Syrian government has relocated its political offices to schools and
universities, to be safer in case a strike by the West takes place.
08:38 GMT: The Syrian army could possess the S-300
surface-to-air missiles in its arsenal – according to Al Arabiya.
08:30 GMT: There’s no public support for the Western military intervention in
Syria as the performed in the US and its allied states reveal that people
object their country’s troops fighting in yet another the Middle Eastern war.
The poll performed by Huffington Post and YouGov showed that only 25 percent of the Americans believe that military response is required after the last week’s alleged chemical attack on civilians by the Syrian government of Bashar Assad.
Just 9 percent of Britons want to see their military taking part in the Syrian conflict, which has been underway since March 2011, with surveys in France and Germany also indicating public opposition towards Western intervention
The poll performed by Huffington Post and YouGov showed that only 25 percent of the Americans believe that military response is required after the last week’s alleged chemical attack on civilians by the Syrian government of Bashar Assad.
Just 9 percent of Britons want to see their military taking part in the Syrian conflict, which has been underway since March 2011, with surveys in France and Germany also indicating public opposition towards Western intervention
Thursday, August 29, 2013
23:13 GMT: President Obama is prepared to
decide on military action against Syria on his own, “in the best
interests of the US,” the White House said in a statement after the British
Parliament rejected a motion approving the UK’s military involvement in the
anti-Assad coalition.
22:32 GMT: Any possibility of British involvement in a military campaign in Syria
has been effectively ruled out after British lawmakers voted down
the prospect in parliament, costing the US the nation’s closest ally in a
potential strike.
20:48 GMT: The Russian called meeting of the UN
Security Council on the developing situation in Syria has failed to achieve
results on Thursday. The discussions which lasted for less than an hour ended
as sides failed to reach an agreement with the ambassadors of China, France,
Britain, Russia and the United States gradually leaving the talks.
This is the second time, the permanent five met to discuss the UK submitted resolution on Syria. On Wednesday, the Security Council met to debate the draft resolution that could pave the way for military intervention in Syria.
Russia remains strongly opposed to foreign interference, citing that there is no proof that the Syrian regime was responsible for the alleged chemical attack last Wednesday.
The US and its European allies have made clear they think a military response is needed against the government that they thinks is responsible for the attack.
This is the second time, the permanent five met to discuss the UK submitted resolution on Syria. On Wednesday, the Security Council met to debate the draft resolution that could pave the way for military intervention in Syria.
Russia remains strongly opposed to foreign interference, citing that there is no proof that the Syrian regime was responsible for the alleged chemical attack last Wednesday.
The US and its European allies have made clear they think a military response is needed against the government that they thinks is responsible for the attack.
20:36 GMT: In preparation for a possible strike on
Syria, President Barack Obama had a phone discussion with the Speaker of the
House John Boehner, a spokesman for Boehner said Thursday. The discussion
focused on issues Boehner raised in his letter to the President, ranging from
possible objectives to legal premises for such activity.
"Only the president can answer these questions, and it is clear that further dialogue and consultation with Congress, as well as communication with the American public, will be needed," Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement adding that consultation with Congress and the public was needed.
"Only the president can answer these questions, and it is clear that further dialogue and consultation with Congress, as well as communication with the American public, will be needed," Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement adding that consultation with Congress and the public was needed.
19:59 GMT: Several US officials, including one
senior member of the intelligence community, told AP on condition of anonymity
that there were noticeable holes in US intelligence assessments, which the
White House said would prove the Syrian government’s responsibility for the use
of chemical weapons on August 21.
According to an Office of the Director for National Intelligence report cited by the AP, the US evidence against the Syrian regime “is thick with caveats” and contains gaps that are getting in the way of putting the chemical weapon use directly in the hands of Assad.
According to an Office of the Director for National Intelligence report cited by the AP, the US evidence against the Syrian regime “is thick with caveats” and contains gaps that are getting in the way of putting the chemical weapon use directly in the hands of Assad.
19:38 GMT: People across Europe have protested
against the Western powers’ possible military action against Syria.
Demonstrators with anti-war and pro-Syrian placards marched in the UK, France, Germany, Greece and Ukraine.
Demonstrators with anti-war and pro-Syrian placards marched in the UK, France, Germany, Greece and Ukraine.
19:01 GMT: US officials have rejected comparisons of
the possible strike against Syria to the war in Iraq.
“We’re not considering analogous responses in any way… We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the Iraq war,” US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters during a daily briefing.
“Nobody is talking about a large-scale military intervention,” Harf added, ruling out American “boots on the ground” in Syria, as well as “any military options aimed at regime change.”
The White House also asked not to draw analogies with previous US involvement in the Middle East conflicts, or the pre-Iraq war debate about intelligence on the weapons of mass destruction.
The possible military response to Syria would be “very discrete and limited,” and not an open-ended conflict aimed at toppling Syrian President Bashar Assad, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
“We’re not considering analogous responses in any way… We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the Iraq war,” US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters during a daily briefing.
“Nobody is talking about a large-scale military intervention,” Harf added, ruling out American “boots on the ground” in Syria, as well as “any military options aimed at regime change.”
The White House also asked not to draw analogies with previous US involvement in the Middle East conflicts, or the pre-Iraq war debate about intelligence on the weapons of mass destruction.
The possible military response to Syria would be “very discrete and limited,” and not an open-ended conflict aimed at toppling Syrian President Bashar Assad, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
18:30 GMT: The US would provide its own legal
justification for a response to chemical weapons use in Syria, if necessary,
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during a
briefing.
“When the president reaches a determination about the appropriate response... and a legal justification is required to substantiate or to back up that decision, we’ll produce one on our own,”the spokesman said.
He added that the US government is “disappointed” with the Russian position in the UN Security Council, but that it will not influence President Obama’s decision.
“When the president reaches a determination about the appropriate response... and a legal justification is required to substantiate or to back up that decision, we’ll produce one on our own,”the spokesman said.
He added that the US government is “disappointed” with the Russian position in the UN Security Council, but that it will not influence President Obama’s decision.
17:43 GMT: China has spoken against military
intervention in Syria and urged other nations not to put pressure on the UN
investigation team.
“China supports the conduct of a fair, objective and professionally done [UN] investigation without exertion of any pressure from the outside,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, calling all the sides to “refrain from forecasting the results, let alone undertaking any kind of actions.”
Wang Yi also stressed that the international community should stick to diplomatic means when dealing with the conflict in Syria, and pointed out that military intervention will only worsen the Middle East crisis.
“China supports the conduct of a fair, objective and professionally done [UN] investigation without exertion of any pressure from the outside,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, calling all the sides to “refrain from forecasting the results, let alone undertaking any kind of actions.”
Wang Yi also stressed that the international community should stick to diplomatic means when dealing with the conflict in Syria, and pointed out that military intervention will only worsen the Middle East crisis.
17:14 GMT: The UN investigators will return to Syria and continue investigation of the use of chemical weapons after reporting to UN headquarters, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.
Meanwhile, the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said the investigators have not yet determined what substance was used in the alleged attack and are awaiting the results of the analysis.
Brahimi refused to comment on reports of an imminent Western strike on Syria, saying he has “no knowledge” of the issue.
17:00 GMT: The five permanent members of the UN Security Council will meet again Thursday to discuss the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, Reuters cited a UN diplomatic source as saying.
The meeting of Russian, Chinese, French, US and UK representatives will take place at 18:30 GMT, the source said on condition of anonymity.
The meeting was reportedly requested by Russia.
16:38 GMT: Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government supports military in Syria over chemical weapons, but that Canada had no plans to send troops.
Harper said there was a risk the alleged chemical weapons attack could set an “extremely dangerous precedent” if the international community did not act.
16:09 GMT: The US Navy has deployed a fifth destroyer to the eastern Mediterranean ahead of a possible strike on Syria, AFP cited a US Defense Department official as saying.
The USS Stout, a guided missile destroyer, has entered the Mediterranean to relieve another ship, the USS Mahan, the official said on condition of anonymity.
He added that both ships might remain in place for an unspecified period of time.
Other US destroyers in the region – the USS Ramage, the USS Barry and the USS Gravely – are ready to launch Tomahawk missiles toward Syria should US President Barack Obama give the order.
15:48 GMT: Italy would not join any military operation against Damascus without authorization from the UN Security Council, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has said.
While putting the blame for the alleged chemical weapons use on the Assad regime in an interview with RAI state radio, Letta stressed that Italy will not participate in a strike against Syria “if the United Nations doesn’t back it.”
15:27 GMT: Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi
has announced the government has been mobilizing its resources to preserve
essential services in case of a military attack by Western states.
“The government is striving to secure supplies of food, medicine and services,” al-Halqi was quoted as saying by the official SANA news agency, adding that Syria has “a strategic supply of all materials.”
Al-Halqi said he had called for necessary measures “to overcome any emergency situation and prevent enemies from disrupting state services, especially electricity, drinking water, communications, food and oil.”
“The government is striving to secure supplies of food, medicine and services,” al-Halqi was quoted as saying by the official SANA news agency, adding that Syria has “a strategic supply of all materials.”
Al-Halqi said he had called for necessary measures “to overcome any emergency situation and prevent enemies from disrupting state services, especially electricity, drinking water, communications, food and oil.”
15:09 GMT: UK Prime Minister David Cameron said
there was “no 100% certainty about who is responsible” for the use of
chemical weapons in Syria, adding he was personally convinced the regime is to
blame, and that a judgment still has to be made based on “understanding”
of the situation in Syria
15:00 GMT: US members of Congress are set to be
briefed on the situation in Syria.
President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are expected to participate in the briefing.
President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are expected to participate in the briefing.
14:45 GMT: Britain’s opposition leader, Ed Miliband,
urged the UK parliament not to “rush to judgment” when deciding on
possible military action against Syria.
“Evidence should precede decision, not vice versa,”Miliband said.
Miliband, leader of the Labour Party, also said that the UN Security Council should not be a “sideshow,” and that international support was crucial for any military action.
“Evidence should precede decision, not vice versa,”Miliband said.
Miliband, leader of the Labour Party, also said that the UN Security Council should not be a “sideshow,” and that international support was crucial for any military action.
14:24 GMT: British Prime Minister David Cameron said
it was “unthinkable” for the UK to launch military action against Syria
if there was strong opposition in the UN Security Council.
However, Cameron
then went on to justify a military operation against Assad, saying that a
strong response to the use of chemical weapons would “only strengthen the
political process” leading to the solution of the conflict in Syria.
14:18 GMT: The International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) has warned that further escalation of the conflict in Syria will
only worsen the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.
The ICRC said it was “appalled” by reports of chemical weapons being used near Damascus.
According to Magne Barth, head of the ICRC delegation in Syria “further escalation will likely trigger more displacement and add to humanitarian needs, which are already immense.”
The lack of medical supplies and personnel is already resulting in deaths in the area around Damascus, Barth said.
The ICRC said it was “appalled” by reports of chemical weapons being used near Damascus.
According to Magne Barth, head of the ICRC delegation in Syria “further escalation will likely trigger more displacement and add to humanitarian needs, which are already immense.”
The lack of medical supplies and personnel is already resulting in deaths in the area around Damascus, Barth said.
13:44 GMT: Britain’s Defense Ministry has confirmed
that six RAF Typhoon jets have been deployed to Cyprus as a “prudent and
precautionary measure.”
The interceptor aircrafts were sent to the UK airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus, “to ensure the protection of UK interests and the defence of our sovereign base areas at a time of heightened tension in the wider region,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This is a movement of defensive assets operating in an air-to-air role only. They are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria,” the statement said.
The interceptor aircrafts were sent to the UK airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus, “to ensure the protection of UK interests and the defence of our sovereign base areas at a time of heightened tension in the wider region,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This is a movement of defensive assets operating in an air-to-air role only. They are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria,” the statement said.
13:35 GMT: People protesting against possible UK
military involvement in Syria and media reporters have gathered around the
British parliament building as MPs in the House of Commons start their debate
of military action against Syrian President Assad
13:24 GMT: Damascus is concerned that Syrian
President Bashar Assad may be targeted by a drone strike, Itar-Tass quotes
sources cited in the regional media as saying. The Syrian government does not
believe Western governments’ statements that they aren’t seeking to topple
Assad’s regime, one source said. Others have been reporting relocations of
troops and military hardware at military bases near Damascus to minimize the
possible losses in case of Western airstrikes. Damascus has also reportedly
beefed up security at government buildings and the ruling party’s offices.
13:09 GMT: Pope Francis and Jordan’s King Abdullah
have agreed that a peaceful dialogue among Syrians with the backing of the
international community is the “only option” to resolve the conflict in
Syria, the Vatican said in a statement.
King Abdullah and Queen Rania reportedly flew to Rome specifically to discuss the Syrian crisis with the Pope, and had a 20-minute private conversation with His Holiness in the Vatican on Thursday
King Abdullah and Queen Rania reportedly flew to Rome specifically to discuss the Syrian crisis with the Pope, and had a 20-minute private conversation with His Holiness in the Vatican on Thursday
12:31 GMT: The UK government on Thursday published
internal legal advice saying that it was legally entitled to launch a military
strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces – even if the UN Security
Council blocked such action.
The UK also
revealed its intelligence material on the alleged chemical weapons attack near
Damascus last week, saying it had no doubt the attack took place and that it
was “highly likely” that the Syrian government was behind it. The
government said it had “some intelligence” proving Assad’s
responsibility.
12:17 GMT: The UN inspectors will continue
investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria in accordance with the
international agreement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
Speaking in Vienna, Ban said he had asked that the UN inspectors be “given a chance to continue their work in accordance with the mandate approved by [UN] member states.”
Ban also said he earlier discussed with US President Barack Obama how the UN and US could work together “to speed up the investigation process.”
He pledged that the full results of the investigation would be distributed among UN member countries, and repeated his call for a peaceful dialogue on Syria
Speaking in Vienna, Ban said he had asked that the UN inspectors be “given a chance to continue their work in accordance with the mandate approved by [UN] member states.”
Ban also said he earlier discussed with US President Barack Obama how the UN and US could work together “to speed up the investigation process.”
He pledged that the full results of the investigation would be distributed among UN member countries, and repeated his call for a peaceful dialogue on Syria
12:05 GMT: Russia’s Foreign Ministry has urged the
UN team investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria to also
investigate the sites of other alleged attacks.
Noting that the UN experts would deliver samples taken at the site of the chemical weapons incident near Damascus to a specialized laboratory in The Hague, ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said: “This should not interfere with the completion of the investigation process in the districts previously chosen in the framework of the agreement between the Syrian authorities and the UN Secretariat on August 13, 2013.”
Noting that the UN experts would deliver samples taken at the site of the chemical weapons incident near Damascus to a specialized laboratory in The Hague, ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said: “This should not interfere with the completion of the investigation process in the districts previously chosen in the framework of the agreement between the Syrian authorities and the UN Secretariat on August 13, 2013.”
11:29 GMT: Syrian President Bashar Assad said that
his country would defend itself against any attack. "The threats of
direct aggression against Syria will only increase our commitment to our
deep-rooted principles and the independent will of our people. Syria will
defend itself in the face of any aggression," Syrian state TV quoted
Assad as telling a delegation of Yemeni politicians.
09:27 GMT: French President François Hollande said
that everything should be done to seek a political solution to the Syrian
crisis, Reuters reported.
09:03 GMT: The UN team investigating chemical
weapons attacks in Syria is set to leave the country early Saturday and report
immediately to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, he said.
08:15 GMT: Russia is to send an anti-submarine ship
and a missile cruiser to the eastern Mediterranean in the next few days,
Interfax news agency cited military sources as saying. The move is a planned
rotation of vessels and there are no plans to boost the Russian Navy’s presence
in the area, the source said. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not confirmed the
move, however.
06:20 GMT: Calls for military intervention in Syria
are an "undisguised challenge" to Charter of the United
Nations, the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated.
05:50 GMT: Syrian government forces have retreated
from the airport zone in Damascus amid reports that the families of Syrian
military elite are evacuating to Lebanon.
-------------------------------------
Syria will repel any attack, crush Israeli-backed terrorists - Assad
Syrian President
Bashar Assad (AFP/SANA
Source: Press TV
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Damascus will defend
itself against any aggression, amid the escalating Western war rhetoric against
the Arab country.
President Assad made the remarks on Thursday while receiving a delegation of Yemeni
politicians in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Syria's state television said.
"Syria will defend itself in the face of any
aggression, and threats will only increase its commitment to its principles and
its independence," Assad said.
The Syrian president also noted that Syria is determined to crush the
Israeli-backed terrorists operating against his government.
“Syria, with its resistant people and valiant army, is determined to wipe out terrorism which is being backed by Israel and Western nations to serve their own purposes of sowing division in the region, fragmenting its people and forcing them into submission,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Assad as saying that Damascus will emerge “victorious” in any possible military confrontation with the United States and its allies.
The US and other western countries have adopted the rhetoric of war against Syria over allegations that the Syrian government was behind a chemical attack near Damascus.
The call for military strike intensified after the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar. Syria has categorically rejected the claim as a false flag operation.
“Syria, with its resistant people and valiant army, is determined to wipe out terrorism which is being backed by Israel and Western nations to serve their own purposes of sowing division in the region, fragmenting its people and forcing them into submission,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Assad as saying that Damascus will emerge “victorious” in any possible military confrontation with the United States and its allies.
The US and other western countries have adopted the rhetoric of war against Syria over allegations that the Syrian government was behind a chemical attack near Damascus.
The call for military strike intensified after the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar. Syria has categorically rejected the claim as a false flag operation.
----------------------------------------
Top Iranian commander says attacking Syria will burn Israel down
Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan
Firouzabadi
Source: Press TV
The chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces has emphasized
that a potential military attack against Syria by the US and its allies will
have a ruinous impact on the Israeli regime.
"Any military measure against Syria will draw the Zionists deep in the
fire [as well],” said Major General Hassan Firouzabadi in an address on the
recent American military threats against the Syrian nation and government on
Thursday.
Further elaborating on the ramifications of a potential new
military move in the region, the top military commander said, “This will be a
huge damage to the human community and its effects will not be merely limited
to the Muslim community.”
He stated, “The US, Britain and the rest of their allies will suffer greatly by
deploying their military forces to the region and Syria.”
The Iranian commander pointed out that in the more than two years since the beginning of the foreign-sponsored crisis in Syria, the country’s people have demonstrated a high sense of morale and resistance and the eventual outcome of such resistance will be a triumph in any war.
Firouzabadi, who also sits on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, further noted that one of the reasons for the current rise of poverty and homelessness in the US is the huge expenses the American statesmen have imposed on their people by waging wars in other countries.
He then urged American thinkers and elites, as well as the international community, to look for ways to resolve the great problems that American rulers are imposing on the international community.
The Western calls for military action against Syria have intensified after the foreign-backed militants operating inside Syria claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.
A number of Western countries, including the United States, France, and the UK, were quick to engage in a major publicity campaign to promote war against Syria despite the fact that Damascus categorically rejected the claim on the use of chemical arms.
Media outlets reported US plans for likely surgical attacks, which would be in the form of “cruise-missile strikes,” and “could rely on four US destroyers in the Mediterranean [Sea].” The plan was said to be awaiting US President Barack Obama’s go-ahead.
Washington has said it is willing to go ahead with its plans for a strike on Syria even without the approval of the United Nations or despite opposition from its own people as revealed in the latest polls.
The Iranian commander pointed out that in the more than two years since the beginning of the foreign-sponsored crisis in Syria, the country’s people have demonstrated a high sense of morale and resistance and the eventual outcome of such resistance will be a triumph in any war.
Firouzabadi, who also sits on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, further noted that one of the reasons for the current rise of poverty and homelessness in the US is the huge expenses the American statesmen have imposed on their people by waging wars in other countries.
He then urged American thinkers and elites, as well as the international community, to look for ways to resolve the great problems that American rulers are imposing on the international community.
The Western calls for military action against Syria have intensified after the foreign-backed militants operating inside Syria claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.
A number of Western countries, including the United States, France, and the UK, were quick to engage in a major publicity campaign to promote war against Syria despite the fact that Damascus categorically rejected the claim on the use of chemical arms.
Media outlets reported US plans for likely surgical attacks, which would be in the form of “cruise-missile strikes,” and “could rely on four US destroyers in the Mediterranean [Sea].” The plan was said to be awaiting US President Barack Obama’s go-ahead.
Washington has said it is willing to go ahead with its plans for a strike on Syria even without the approval of the United Nations or despite opposition from its own people as revealed in the latest polls.
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