Syria: Russia digs its heels in over use of force

The release of a UN inspectors report on Monday, which confirmed chemical weapons had been used on a “relatively large scale” in Damascus last month, was hailed by the governments of the UK, US and France as further evidence that President Assad was responsible for the attacks.

Assad is the legitimate president chosen by the Syrian people and will remain so as long as the Syrian people want this. Syrian foreign ministry

The three western powers have been engaged in high-level political negotiations with Russia, aimed at achieving a UN Security Council resolution which will place the Assad regime’s chemical weapons stockpiles under international control.

During these negotiations, US Secretary of State John Kerry said any security council resolution is not a “lifeline” to President Assad, who had lost “all legitimacy” – and that the process that should take place involves the appointment of a transitional government.

‘Impermissable’

On Tuesday, the Syrian foreign ministry issued an angry statement, criticising the western powers.

“Assad is the legitimate president chosen by the Syrian people and will remain so as long as the Syrian people want this,” the ministry said.

The Syrian coalition urges the Security Council to end the culture of impunity in Syria. Syrian National Coalition

The ministry added that any discussion of President Assad’s political and constitutional legitimacy is an “exclusive right for the Syrian people and it is impermissible for the United States, its allies and tools” to impose their will in this regard.

“The allegations by the US and its allies about commitment to achieve a political solution for the crisis in Syria to end violence contradict their continuing attempts to precede the political process and impose prior conditions on it,” the ministry said.

‘Accusatory report’

At the same time, the main Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said the UN inspectors’ report offered “damning and irrefutable evidence” that President Assad had used chemical weapons, and called for a swift international response.

“The Syrian coalition urges the Security Council to end the culture of impunity in Syria, and to stop the Syrian regime from carrying out further war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the coalition said.

France also said on Tuesday that the report was evidence that the Assad regime had carried out the attack.

In a joint press conference with Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said: “We think that this report, as the UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-Moon said, is a very accusatory report.

“If we look at the amount of sarin which was used, the targets and the equipment that was needed, and at other aspects, then we have no hesitations that the Syrian regime is behind these attacks on the 21 August.”

‘Provocation’

However, Russia disagrees. In the same press conference, Mr Lavrov said: “We have serious grounds to believe that it was a provocation (by rebels).”

Mr Lavrov also said Russia was still opposed to any “use of force” clause in a UN resolution over Syria’s chemical weapons.

Mr Ban said on Monday, as he released the inspectors report, that he backed the use of chapter seven of the UN charter if the Assad regime did not comply with the terms of a Security Council resolution.

Chapter seven covers a range of measures the international community can take, including military action. The US has said it is ready to take military action if Syria does not comply.

However, Mr Lavrov said he was against use of force being a part of the resolution.

He said that Russia had “spoken clearly” about rejecting the use of force clause when the chemical weapons agreement was worked out in Geneva.

But if signs emerge that Syria is not fulfilling the agreement or there are reports of further chemical weapons use, “then the Security Council will examine the situation”, he added.

Turkey clash

Meanwhile, tensions between Turkey and Syria increased with a car bomb explosion on the Syrian side of the Turkish border on Tuesday.

The attack, near the main Bab al-Hawa crossing which has been used by refugees, resulted in at least a dozen people being taken to hospital.

The incident followed the shooting down of a Syrian helicopter which had entereed Turkish airspace.

The Syrian government has called the Turkish respionse “hasty”.