Russia rejects UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria attack
A draft resolution that would have denounced the purported chemical weapons assault on the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun and declared the Security Council‘s resolve to hold those responsible for the attack accountable was rejected today. The draft, which was defeated by 10 votes in favor, 2 votes against (Bolivia, Russian Federation), and 3 abstentions (China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan), would have highlighted Syria’s responsibility to adhere to the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism’s and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission’s recommendations by granting immediate, unrestricted access to and the right to inspect all sites.
Russia’s stance on the Syrian conflict
It would have asked the Secretary-General to report on the matter every 30 days in accordance with resolution 2118 (2013), which was tabled by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. The Council had decided in that resolution that Syria would not use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, or retain chemical weapons, among other things. Before the action, the delegate from the Russian Federation asked that an independent investigation into the Khan Shaykhun event be started right away, claiming that the draft had not been useful. Speakers concurred after the voting that those responsible for the reported chemical attacks must be held accountable and that a prompt, unbiased investigation is necessary. That sadness was expressed by numerous speakers. Ukraine’s delegate claimed that the Council’s inaction had conveyed the idea that criminals could “get away with murder.” “I feel humiliated today. The Council’s credibility was put to the test with this decision, and we failed. In her national capacity, the U.S. delegate, whose nation will preside over the Council in April, stated that the text contained clear information: Bashar al-Assad’s government must grant access to places. The material in the text would have supported the Assad regime’s innocence. The Russian Federation was further alienating itself after voting against a resolution on Syria for the ninth time.
Key points of the rejected resolution
Syria’s ambassador emphasized that his nation was more interested in knowing the truth than anybody else and denounced the use of chemical weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. Syria had asked that investigations be conducted in the Shayrat air base and Khan Shaykhun as part of its cooperation with the OPCW. He disapproved of the draft resolution due to its deceptive political wording, which aimed to have the probe indict the Syrian government beforehand. Any reader would realize that the text’s ultimate purpose was not truth. The Syrian government, which on its part had written 90 letters to OPCW regarding terrorist groups’ use of chemical weapons and other weapons, had had facts manipulated and evidence falsified against it. Assad’s 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators sparked a civil war, which was later exploited by Islamic State extremists to take over parts of Syria and Iraq. “Those who are currently carpet-bombing Idlib and those who protest humanitarian access to Syria will be held responsible.” And the cost of reconstruction will be borne by those who are doing so. French Ambassador to the United Nations Nicolas de Rivière told reporters, “We operate on the tenet that you own it if you break it. Damascus announced a truce on August 31 that resulted in a pause in airstrikes, just after Kuwait, Germany, and Belgium presented the first draft U.N. resolution. However, residents and rescuers report that Syrian troops fired south of Idlib on Sunday.
International reactions to Russia’s opposition
According to the UN, since fighting began in northwest Syria in April, over 550 civilians have died and about 400,000 have been displaced. Nearly 50% of those who have been relocated are living outdoors or beneath trees. At their meeting in Ankara on Monday, the leaders of Iran, Russia, and Turkey decided to try to reduce tensions in the Idlib region, although differences between the nations seemed to still exist, particularly about the threat posed by the Islamic State. Last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared that the organization would look into attacks on humanitarian sites and facilities supported by the UN in northwest Syria. According to statements made by Russia and Syria, their forces do not attack civilians or civilian infrastructure. US President Donald Trump responded by ordering missile strikes against a Syrian air force base, which his Western allies blamed on the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. The proposed resolution would have supported the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ on-the-ground investigation.
