On Monday, UN chemical weapons inspectors released a report detailing their findings on the use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians that killed more than 1,400. Despite the fact that the findings strikingly did not find any one party at fault, either the Syrian government or the rebel opposition, Russia has continued to blast the report claiming it to be one-sided and prompting the inspectors to return for more evidence.
Prior to the report’s release, the United States, United Kingdom and France all concluded that enough evidence has mounted against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and his regime for the global community to take military action against him and his government. Russia, however, vetoed any UN Security Council measures that would allow for such intervention, stating bluntly that they have evidence of their own that perhaps the attacks occurred at the hands of the rebels.
According to CNN, “Ake Sellstrom, the head of the inspection team that visited after an August 21 attack, told CNN that the next visit could take place as early as next week.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is responsible for brokering a resolution with Secretary of State John Kerry and the Syrian government that signed Syria on to the Chemical Weapons Convention without the use of military force, made it abundantly clear Tuesday that, per CBS News, “Moscow, however, remains unconvinced, calling for the Ghouta attack to be ‘impartially, objectively, professionally investigated.'”
Assad stated to the world that his compliance with Russia’s resolution had absolutely nothing to do with President Obama’s threats of employing the use of American military might.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia Today that the largest country in the world has amassed its own evidence, not quite international stage-ready, that perhaps rules out the Syrian government as the group that allowed for Sarin nerve gas to be dispatched throughout the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.
“This analysis is not finished, so the point here is not about accusing parties. But the point is … that those inspectors of the U.N. should come back to Syria to complete their investigation.”
In fact, just today Syria handed over evidence of its own, citing a direct link between the attacks to the Syrian rebels.
Russia is expected to put its evidence before the United Nations Security Council for review sometime Wednesday, though it’s unclear as to when.
In a recent national address, President Obama urged Congress and the American people to their faith in exhausting all diplomatic solutions before military intervention is used, but also urged Congress to weigh the pros and cons of voting on such should the evidence incriminate Syria and Assad. He promised “no boots on the ground,” and a strike would likely be at the hands of drones and sea-based missiles.
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