Putin demands proofs and no rumors about chemical attacks in Syria

Russia demands convincing proofs and no rumours about chemical attacks in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently called the US accusations against the Syrian government in Damascus about the alleged use of chemical weapons (e.g. Sarin nerve agent) against Syrian civilians in suburbs of the Syrian capital on August 21 an “utter nonsense,” and also the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is so far not convinced by the alleged evidence in the hands of the U.S. administration in Washington behind their claims against Syria.

The Russian Foreign Minister has recently said that the presented evidence by the United States is so far not convincing and that Washington should share further details and evidence and the alleged Intel report in case there is evidence for their accusations of that Syrian government that is has used chemical weapons against their own Syrian population near Damascus.

Sergey Lavrov said that in these days and such a serious situation and turmoil in and around Syria and a possible US-led military attack on the Arab country, Washington has simply to share such information.

In the meantime, there are new statements by the Russian President Vladimir Putin in terms of the alleged use of chemical weapons (e.g. poison gas) near the Syrian capital Damascus and the accusations by Washington against the Syrian governance and President Bashar al-Assad. However, Putin also spoke about the UN experts and the UN Security Council (UNSC) in his recent interview with AP and First Channel.

The Russian President said in this interview with First Channel and AP that Moscow needs convincing proof and no rumours from the experts of the United Nations (UN) that chemical weapons were used in Syria.

Vladimir Putin further stated in this interview that it is up to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to decide on the next course of action in terms of the Syrian conflict and the allegations and threats against Syria.

President Putin further spoke about the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict in Syria and the threat of a US-led military strike on Damascus in his interview with Russia’s First TV channel and AP. Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow believes that, at the very least, every side has to wait for the results of the inspection commission of the United Nations (UN) in Syria, and that any side has to wait till the results of the investigation of the samples from Syria are published by the UN.

The Russian President added to his remarks in regards of the investigation of the samples from Syria and the UN inspectors that there is so far no information about what kind of chemical agent has been exactly used in the attack in suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, and that there is also no information so far available of who carried out the chemical attacks in the suburbs (e.g. Jobar) of Damascus in August.

Vladimir Putin then referred to his earlier statement that the accusations against the Syrian government are “utter nonsense.” Putin Said that he has already stated that it is “absolutely ridiculous” that the “Syrian government’s armed forces, which today are actually on an offense mission and in some regions have already encircled the so-called rebels and are finishing them off, that the Syrian army has used prohibited chemical weapons.”

Russia’s President pointed out that the Syrian government is well aware of the situation that this could become a cause for sanctions and even a justification for a military strike against them and thus, the accusations against Damascus are “stupid and illogical,” according to Vladimir Putin. However, this is correct.

Under the current situation on the battlefields on Syrian soil, where the Syrian Army units gained the upper hand, and in terms of result of a possible military attack by foreign military forces, the use of chemical weapons by units of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and even already such an order by the government in Damascus would have been really stupid and even illogical. The same applies for the situation to carry out such chemical attacks in suburbs of the Syrian capital on the same day when the UN inspectors arrive in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The Russian President Putin finally said in his new interview that the evidence for the use of chemical weapons by the national Syrian army has to be presented in case any side has convincing information that the Syrian Army used chemical weapons in attacks.

Such a proof for the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Army units, in case it exists, must be presented to the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the UN inspectors, according to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. He stressed afterwards that such a proof has to be “convincing” and not based on “rumours” or any kind of “eavesdropped intelligence data, recorded conversations,” and so on.

He further said in the interview that even in the United States, there are experts who do question the reliability of the facts presented by the U.S. administration in Washington and that those experts in America do not exclude the possibility “that the Syrian opposition has conducted a pre-planned provocation in order to give their sponsors a reason for military intervention.”

Russia’s President was also asked about the video recordings of dead Syrian children that allegedly have died due to the chemical attack in suburbs of Damascus. Putin answered this question with the words that this material with the dead children is “horrible” and that the questions of what exactly was done and who did it is very important.

The video(s), so Putin, does not answer these serious and important questions. Vladimir Putin then pointed out in terms of these video records of dead Syrian children that this video could be a “compilation made by the militants who – even the US acknowledges – have links with Al-Qaeda and are notorious for extreme atrocities.”

Russia’s President suggested to pay attentions to the facts in the video recordings with the dead children and that nobody is able to see their parents or relatives or even medical personnel in the recordings, while the people who appear in the gruesome video recordings remain completely unidentified. However terrible the picture could be, it cannot be proof of anybody’s guilt, so Putin.