Syrian opposition may try to use chemical weapons again - Lavrov warns

Russia urges international community to repel jihadists in Syria, Iraq

News | 01.10.2013 | 06:10

Moscow says it condemns the terrorist attacks in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. "We take the acts of violence and crimes committed in various part of Iraq, now including in Iraqi Kurdistan, with the utmost serious concern. The attempts of Jihadist supporters to achieve their goals with blood actions against state structures and civilians in Iraq, Syria and other countries of the region should be repelled," the Russian Foreign Ministry posted a statement on Monday. Moscow thinks that "long-term solutions of pending problems and disagreements of all Middle Eastern countries is within wide national dialog and finding consensus agreements." A series of explosions near the local security service office took place Erbil in central Iraqi Kurdistan on September 29. The explosions claimed six lives and over 60 people, including civilians, sustained various injuries. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the group affiliated with al-Qaeda, have taken the responsibility for the explosions. Syrian opposition may try to use chemical weapons again - Lavrov Moscow fears that the Syrian opposition will again attempt to use chemical weapons, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "We have serious suspicions that these attempts [by the Syrian opposition to use chemical weapons] will continue," he said in an interview with Kommersant daily published on Monday. Commenting on US claims that Washington has plenty of evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government Lavrov said: "They did not provide it to us. Meanwhile, we produced the evidence we have [received through our own channels, from Syrians and from independent sources] that prompts the conclusion that it is the handiwork of the opposition". "At the meeting with the UN Secretary General and the five permanent members of the Security Council and at the Security Council session itself we stressed that the countries acting as sponsors of the opposition in political, financial and military respects bear responsibility for it [the opposition] not trying to lay hands on stocks of chemical weapons, to receive them from somewhere abroad or to stage provocations within Syria to shift blame onto the government, arouse general anger and thus try to provoke an external strike on Syria". "It seems to me we are on the right track," Lavrov said. He pointed out that, in compliance with the new UN Security Council resolution, "any abuses permitted by any side - the government or opposition groups - must be reported to the UN Security Council after a thorough investigation". "This also applies to the use of chemical weapons by, God forbid, anyone," he said. "If we are absolutely confident that any of the sides permitted an abuse or used chemical weapons, we will be ready to make a decision in compliance with Chapter 7 [of the UN Charter]," he said. Lavrov went on; "This is inscribed in our commitments. But I must stress that we will not buy a pig in a poke like when we are now told about the August 21 incident they say it is clear to everyone that it was the handiwork of the government". Voice of Russia, Interfax, RT