ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

China has said it supports an investigation into a suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma, and reiterated its opposition to the use of chemical weapons.

"We resolutely oppose the use of chemical weapons by any country, any organization, any person, for any reason, under any circumstances," spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Geng Shuang said on Monday during a regular press briefing.

"China supports conducting a comprehensive, objective and just investigation into the relevant incident, whose results can stand the tests of history and an examination of the facts, and will bring the responsible party to justice under the law," the spokesperson added.

He said the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons should continue their role as the main channels for dealing with such issues.

The alleged gas attack late on Saturday killed at least 60 people, including children, in rebel-held Douma, a town near the capital Damascus, according to aid workers.

The attack has been blamed on the government of President Bashar al-Assad, with the US announcing on Monday that it will make a decision on how to respond within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Geng called on all parties to "promote peaceful settlement" of the strife, when asked about a deadly air strike on a Syrian air base following the alleged attack.

"We hope that all parties concerned will adopt a constructive attitude and seek a proper solution through consultations to maintain the unity of the Security Council and cooperate with relevant parties in advancing Syria’s political process," Geng said.

Syrian state media reported that "several missiles" had hit the T-4 base in Homs, central Syria, just before dawn on Monday, killing at least 14 people, including Iranian personnel, in a move first blamed on the US then Israel.

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Jura said:

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International chemical weapons experts will go to the Syrian town of Douma to investigate an alleged poison gas attack, their organisation said on Tuesday, as the United States and other Western powers consider taking military action over the incident.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established. The White House said Trump now will not travel on Friday to the Summit of the Americas in Peru so that he can focus on the crisis.

France and Britain were also discussing with the Trump administration how to respond to the incident. Both also stressed that who was to blame still needed to be confirmed.

At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Saturday’s suspected attack on Douma, then still occupied by rebel forces, according to a Syrian relief group.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and Russia, its main ally, said there was no evidence that a gas attack had taken place and the claim was bogus.

But the incident has thrust Syria’s seven-year-old conflict back to the forefront of international concern and pitted Washington and Moscow against each other again.

Aggravating the volatile situation, Iran, Assad’s other main ally, threatened to respond to an air strike on a Syrian military base on Monday that Tehran, Damascus and Moscow have blamed on Israel.

In Syria, thousands of militants and their families arrived in rebel-held parts of the country’s northwest on Tuesday after surrendering Douma to government forces. Their evacuation restores Assad’s control over the entire eastern Ghouta - formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus.

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Jura said:

now I read
Syria 'chemical attack': China opposes use of chemical weapons, supports UN's role
2018-04-10 14:20 GMT+8

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The U.S.-Russia tension runs high over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, while the U.S. seems banging the drums of war in Syria using the same old pretext of chemical weapons.

Intense political clashes were witnessed in the UN Security Council on Tuesday between Russia and the U.S. over the recent allegations of chemical weapons used by the Syrian government forces in the battles against the rebels in Douma district of Damascus.

Activists claimed the Syrian army used chlorine gas in the attack, a claim completely denied by the Syrian government, which accused the rebels of making up pretexts to attract foreign military intervention.

U.S. officials have also spoken of military action against Syria, but the eyes were fixed on Tuesday evening on the session of the UN Security Council, where both major powers fought diplomatically.

The clash between both powers was reflected in the two draft resolutions on the form of investigating the alleged incident.

Both powers vetoed each other's draft resolutions, with the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley saying that the main difference between the U.S.-drafted text and the Russian one is that Russia wanted to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the U.S. text allows for an independent investigation.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. draft prejudges the outcome of an investigation, as the U.S. has already made its accusation without investigation.

The U.S. has for long been accusing the Syrian government forces of using toxic gas in an attack on Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, basing its accusations on claims by the rebels.

But last Saturday's alleged incident seemed like the pretext under which the U.S. could justify striking Syria after the Syrian army emerged victorious and after it found the Russians and the Iranians in a stronger position in Syria than itself.

Analysts in Syria said the U.S. threats of military action on Syria is "serious" and exceeds 90 percent.

Hmaidi Abdullah, a Syrian political analyst, told Xinhua the U.S. threats of military action on Syria were "serious," saying they reflect the U.S. desire to undermine the Russian-Iranian-Syrian alliance, which is gaining the upper hand in Syria.

He said the U.S. is under pressure from Israel and Saudi Arabia to act against the growing influence of Iran in Syria.

Abdullah said the U.S. has the desire to strike Syria but the decision has not yet been made.

Mahmoud Meri, another political analyst, said the U.S. and its Western allies are preparing to launch strikes on Syria, which could fuel a regional or even international war because Syrian and its allies promised to respond to the fire sources.

Maher Ihsan, a journalist, and political expert told Xinhua that the U.S. is not okay with the Syrian and Russian sides winning in Syria, adding that the recent victory of the Syrian army in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus has raised the ire of the U.S. administration.

"The U.S. wants to say I am here and I call the shots," he said.

The analysts speculated that the possible U.S. strikes could be limited, such as in the last year when the U.S. fired Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian base in central Syria over similar allegations of chemical weapons' use.

Earlier in the day, Russia's envoy to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, said his country has warned the U.S. against striking Syria.

Speaking to Euronews, Chizhov said "Russia has warned U.S. representatives, publicly as well as through proper channels, over the grave consequences that could arise if these strikes happen and whether deliberately or otherwise Russian citizens are hurt."

On Monday, Trump promised a decision on a possible military response within 24 to 48 hours.

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Wu Haitao (R, Front), China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, votes to abstain on a U.S.-drafted resolution on probe of chemical weapons use in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York, April 10, 2018. Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution on probe of chemical weapons use in Syria on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

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asif iqbal said:

How can Israel hit Syrian targets?Russia has S400 which can see and cover whole Israel

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asif iqbal said:

Now US wants to attack again S400 is like a umbrella over Syria how can they attack ?

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asif iqbal said:

This means anyone attacking Syria will have to notify Russia

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asif iqbal said:

If anyone by mistake hits Russian targets they can be sure Putin will retaliate

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U.S. President Donald Trump taunted Russia on Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" to Syria, as Washington was mulling a response to the suspected chemical weapons attack.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" said Trump in a tweet on Wednesday morning.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.

Trump has accused "President Putin, Russia and Iran" responsible for the attack due to their backing of the Syrian government in a tweet over the weekend.

Rebutting Trump's tweet on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Facebook later in the day that a missile strike could undermine the work of international inspectors who will examine the site of the suspected chemical attack.

The so-called "smart" missiles should be fired at terrorists, not at the legitimate government which has been fighting terrorists, Zakharova wrote.

Trump has been mulling a response to the alleged "chemical attack" on Saturday, with the possibility of U.S. military actions against the Syrian government looming large.

Activists, local rescuers, and rebels in Syria claim that Syrian government forces used chlorine gas on Saturday in an attack in Douma, a rebel-held area near capital Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denied the accusations, calling rebels' claims "premeditated pretexts."

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Mr T said:

Personally I wonder if the "Allies" (US, UK and France) will have to take some sort of action now Russia has warned of escalation. Russia cannot be seen to be able to essentially veto their foreign policies by saying "this is our sphere of interest - go away".

I'm sure Russia would protest in the event of an air/naval attack, but shooting down planes or sinking ships would risk even further escalation that brought the allied states directly into a war against Assad. Right now, Russia's priority is to keep Assad in power, and it won't do that by bringing the militaries of three major powers to bear on him.

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bajingan said:

If i were putin, i would sacrifice the rook (syria) in order to eat the king (latvia, estonia) thus effectively destroying NATO credibility.
Russia has no chance against the us in syria uss harry truman alone could wipe out russian forces in a day, but its a completely different matters in the baltics russia could overrun latvia and estonia in three days.

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