Beirut(Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday warned the West not to take unilateral action against Syria, a day after the U.S. president, Barack Obama, spoke of "enormous consequences" if the Syrian couple used chemical or biological weapons or even if moved in a threatening manner.The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, speaking after a meeting with a senior Chinese diplomat said Moscow and Beijing were committed to "the need to adhere strictly to the rules of international law and not permit its violation ".
Russia and China have opposed military intervention in Syria in 17 months of revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. Have vetoed three resolutions of the Security Council of the UN-backed Western and Arab countries, which would put more pressure on Damascus to end the violence that has cost 18,000 lives.United States and its allies have shown little interest in military action in Syria, in contrast to the NATO campaign last year that helped topple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
But Obama gave his speech harder until Monday to warn Assad that does not cross a "red line" of little use weapons conventions in a threatening manner. Obama said he had failed "so far" to order a military intervention in Syria. But when asked at a press conference at the White House about whether deployed forces to any attack with chemical and biological weapons, said his vision could change.
"We've been very clear with the Assad regime, but also with others in the field, a red line for us is (if) we move a lot of chemical weapons, or the use of them. That would change my calculations "Obama said.
Last month the Syrian government first acknowledged that he had chemical and biological weapons and said that he would use if foreign nations involved in its territory.
The threat generated stern warnings from Washington and its allies, though it was unclear how the Syrian armed forces could use such weapons in an urban environment.
"SAFE ZONE"
Obama has been reluctant to involve the U.S. in another war in the Middle East and refuses to provide weapons to the Syrian rebels, partly for fear that some of those who oppose the president, who has backed Iranian Islamists are equally hostile to the West.The rebels have taken over the territory in northern Syria, near Turkey, home to 70,000 Syrian refugees.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu was quoted as saying that the UN should create a "safe zone" in Syria to accommodate those fleeing the conflict, adding that his country could not accommodate more than 100,000 refugees.But creating a safe area would require imposing a no-fly zone, an idea that Secretary of Defense United States, Leon Panetta, said last week that it was not a crucial issue for Washington.
Israel, still formally at war with Syria, also has discussed whether to attack sites unconventional weapons you see as the biggest danger of the conflict in the neighboring country.
MISSION FAILED
The fighting increased in Syria, killing about 200 people on Monday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and a Japanese journalist died of wounds suffered in Aleppo.UN military observers left Damascus after a four-month mission in which they became mere spectators of the conflict. Activists say government forces launched air strikes near the capital that killed two dozen people.
The UN representatives blamed both sides for the collapse of a truce envoy managed by Kofi Annan, who will leave his post later this month."Our mission failed because neither side fulfilled its commitments," said one observer, who declined to be identified, before the UN seven cars left a Damascus hotel with some of the last members of a mission that once had 300 men.
Rebels have complained that foreign powers have provided neither the quantity nor the quality of weapons they need to defeat Assad, as anti-aircraft missiles.Although superseded in weaponry by Assad's forces, the rebels have managed to take control of districts in Damascus and Aleppo last week and several border crossings and northern parts of the country before a counterattack Army in the two main cities Syria.
Russia and China have opposed military intervention in Syria in 17 months of revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. Have vetoed three resolutions of the Security Council of the UN-backed Western and Arab countries, which would put more pressure on Damascus to end the violence that has cost 18,000 lives.United States and its allies have shown little interest in military action in Syria, in contrast to the NATO campaign last year that helped topple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
But Obama gave his speech harder until Monday to warn Assad that does not cross a "red line" of little use weapons conventions in a threatening manner. Obama said he had failed "so far" to order a military intervention in Syria. But when asked at a press conference at the White House about whether deployed forces to any attack with chemical and biological weapons, said his vision could change.
"We've been very clear with the Assad regime, but also with others in the field, a red line for us is (if) we move a lot of chemical weapons, or the use of them. That would change my calculations "Obama said.
Last month the Syrian government first acknowledged that he had chemical and biological weapons and said that he would use if foreign nations involved in its territory.
The threat generated stern warnings from Washington and its allies, though it was unclear how the Syrian armed forces could use such weapons in an urban environment.
"SAFE ZONE"
Obama has been reluctant to involve the U.S. in another war in the Middle East and refuses to provide weapons to the Syrian rebels, partly for fear that some of those who oppose the president, who has backed Iranian Islamists are equally hostile to the West.The rebels have taken over the territory in northern Syria, near Turkey, home to 70,000 Syrian refugees.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu was quoted as saying that the UN should create a "safe zone" in Syria to accommodate those fleeing the conflict, adding that his country could not accommodate more than 100,000 refugees.But creating a safe area would require imposing a no-fly zone, an idea that Secretary of Defense United States, Leon Panetta, said last week that it was not a crucial issue for Washington.
Israel, still formally at war with Syria, also has discussed whether to attack sites unconventional weapons you see as the biggest danger of the conflict in the neighboring country.
MISSION FAILED
The fighting increased in Syria, killing about 200 people on Monday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and a Japanese journalist died of wounds suffered in Aleppo.UN military observers left Damascus after a four-month mission in which they became mere spectators of the conflict. Activists say government forces launched air strikes near the capital that killed two dozen people.
The UN representatives blamed both sides for the collapse of a truce envoy managed by Kofi Annan, who will leave his post later this month."Our mission failed because neither side fulfilled its commitments," said one observer, who declined to be identified, before the UN seven cars left a Damascus hotel with some of the last members of a mission that once had 300 men.
Rebels have complained that foreign powers have provided neither the quantity nor the quality of weapons they need to defeat Assad, as anti-aircraft missiles.Although superseded in weaponry by Assad's forces, the rebels have managed to take control of districts in Damascus and Aleppo last week and several border crossings and northern parts of the country before a counterattack Army in the two main cities Syria.
No comments:
Post a Comment