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Syria: Russia joins international pressure on Assad over chemical attack
Source: The Guardian
Syria: Russia joins international pressure on Assad over chemical attack
Julian Borger and Dan Roberts in Washington
The Guardian, Friday 23 August 2013 18.17 BST
Russia has added to the mounting pressure on the Syrian government over Wednesday's apparent gas attack by calling for UN inspectors to be granted immediate access to the site in eastern Damascus.
The Russian foreign ministry declared that Moscow and Washington had a "mutual interest" in pushing for an immediate investigation by UN investigators who are already in Damascus.
A ministry statement, issued after a conversation between the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, John Kerry, said the "Russian side called on the Syrian government to co-operate with the UN chemical experts".
The intervention, from a staunch supporter of the regime, came on a day of rising international stakes surrounding the attack. Britain directly accused the Syrian government of carrying out the attack, and President Barack Obama said large scale use of chemical weapons affected America's "core national interests", an apparent confirmation that direct US military action is being contemplated. However, reports suggested the administration was still divided on the issue.
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Julian Borger and Dan Roberts in Washington
The Guardian, Friday 23 August 2013 18.17 BST
Russia has added to the mounting pressure on the Syrian government over Wednesday's apparent gas attack by calling for UN inspectors to be granted immediate access to the site in eastern Damascus.
The Russian foreign ministry declared that Moscow and Washington had a "mutual interest" in pushing for an immediate investigation by UN investigators who are already in Damascus.
A ministry statement, issued after a conversation between the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, John Kerry, said the "Russian side called on the Syrian government to co-operate with the UN chemical experts".
The intervention, from a staunch supporter of the regime, came on a day of rising international stakes surrounding the attack. Britain directly accused the Syrian government of carrying out the attack, and President Barack Obama said large scale use of chemical weapons affected America's "core national interests", an apparent confirmation that direct US military action is being contemplated. However, reports suggested the administration was still divided on the issue.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/syria-russia-pressure-assad-regime-attack
