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Russia Warns US Against 'Extremely Dangerous' Syria Attack
RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned US Secretary of State John Kerry over the "extremely dangerous consequences" of launching military action against the Syrian regime, the foreign ministry said today.
Mr Lavrov told Mr Kerry in a telephone call yesterday that Moscow was "deeply alarmed" by comments from US officials indicating a readiness to intervene in Syria in the wake of accusations the regime had used chemical weapons, it said in a statement.
"Sergei Lavrov drew attention to the extremely dangerous consequences of a possible new military intervention for the whole Middle East and North Africa region," it said.
The statement came as Mr Assad said in an interview published today in a Russian newspaper that Western claims his regime used chemical weapons were an "insult to common sense" and warned the US it faced failure if it attacked Syria.
France's foreign minister said today the West would decided in the coming days on a response to the crisis.
Asked on French radio about a possible reaction with "force'', Laurent Fabius said a decision had not yet been taken, adding: "We have to assess the reactions ... and that will be decided upon in the coming days.''
Turkey's foreign minister today also warned that his country would join an international coalition against neighbouring Syria even if the UN Security Council fails to reach consensus on the issue.
"If a coalition is formed against Syria in this process, Turkey will take part in it,'' Ahmet Davutoglu told the Milliyet newspaper.
Mr Lavrov told Mr Kerry that it appeared certain elements inside the US wanted to launch military action in Syria outside of the UN to undermine joint US-Russia efforts to organise a peace conference.
The Russian minister urged his US counterpart "to refrain from using military pressure against Damascus and not to give into provocations."
The ministry said Mr Kerry promised to "attentively" study the arguments of the Russian side.
Russia underlined the necessity of an objective UN investigation into the claimed chemical attack and repeated its doubts that the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad was to blame.
"There is mounting evidence that the incident was a pretence set up by the rebel opposition with the aim of accusing the Damascus government of everything," the statement said.
Mr Assad had told pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia in the extensive interview that Syria would never be a "puppet" of the West and said Washington had never succeeded in reaching its political aims through war.
"The comments (accusing the regime of using chemical weapons) made by politicians in the West and other countries are an insult to common sense ... It is nonsense," Mr Assad said.
Mr Assad accused the US of first making the accusations that his regime used chemical weapons in an attack outside Damascus that activists say killed hundreds, and only later starting to look for proof.
He said the frontline in the area where the incident took place was not clear and the Syrian regime would have risked killing its own army forces if it used chemical weapons.
"This contradicts elementary logic," Mr Assad said. "Such accusations are completely political and the reason for them is a number of victories by the government forces against the terrorists."
With calls mounting for military action against Syria, Mr Assad warned Western states to stop interfering in the affairs of other countries and instead "listen to the opinion of the people".
"If someone is dreaming of making Syria a puppet of the West, then this will not happen," he said.
"We are an independent state, we will fight against terrorism and we will build relations with whom we want for the good of the Syrian people."
Mr Assad warned the US against attacking Syria and argued Washington's previous military campaigns in recent years had always fallen short of their aims.
"The United States faces failure just like in all the previous wars they waged, starting with Vietnam and up to our days," he said.
"America has taken part in many wars but could not once achieve its political goals for which the wars were started. Yes, it is true, the great powers can wage wars but can they win them?"
AFP
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