Russia Warns About Opposition Staging Chemical Attacks in Syria

In this article:

Fecha de publicación:

31 October 2018

Imagen principal:

In April, the Syrian Government allegedly used chemical weapons to attack the last rebel-held position in the eastern Ghouta region.

On Tuesday, Moscow disclosed that groups within Syria are attempting to use chemical weapons to stir up commotion and prompt unrest in the country.

“Alarming reports are coming from various sources that some terrorist and extremist groups in Syria never stop attempts at staging large-scale provocations with the use of chemical weapons and toxic agent,” the Russian Foreign Ministry declared.

The ministry voiced its explicit concern that this type of “provocation” could be used as an excuse to “furnish foreign opponents of the legitimate government in Damascus with another pretext to stage aggressive actions like the illegal missile strikes delivered by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France on Syria in April 2018”, and that this action would also stagnate the establishment of a political process, the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes.

In April, the Syrian Government allegedly used chemical weapons to attack the last rebel-held position in the eastern Ghouta region. However, the government denied any responsibility and Russia went further to state that the attack was staged with the help of Britain.

“If they are saying that chemical (weapons) were used in Ghouta, and if [U.S. President Donald] Trump or France and Britain really wanted to know the truth, they should have provided appropriate conditions for the (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) OPCW to carry out its mission as it's the organization involved in this matter, and not to encroach upon the work of the international institutions and launch accusations and verdicts and then implement punishments," according to Ayman Sussan , Syria’s assistant foreign minister.

The Civil War in Syria started in 2011.

Since then, several years of violence have gripped the population and elicited the involvement of several outside players. On the one hand, Syrian rebels supported by the United States, United Kingdom and France coalition — Turkey joined in 2016, on the rebel’s side — and on the other, the Syrian Government, along with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.