During his stop in Stockholm, President Barack Obama said the international community and Congressâs credibility are on the line if a chemical attack on civilians in Syria goes unanswered. Obama continues to seek congressional and international support for military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.Although Obama rejected suggestions he set a red line for action against Syria in the event Assad used chemical weapons, which is not correct, AP reports that he said the red line was set by the world community and by Congress which ratified a treaty condemning the use of chemical weapons.
Russia needs convincing proof, not rumors, from UN experts that chemical weapons were used in Syria, said Vladimir Putin the Russian president. Putin also indicated that it is up to the UN Security Council to decide on the next course of action RT reports.âWe believe that at the very least we should wait for the results of the UN inspection commission in Syria,â Putin said, adding that so far there is no information about what chemical agent was used in the attack in Damascusâ suburbs and who did it.
âIâve already said I find it absolutely ridiculous that [Syrian] governmentâs 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,â Putin said.
âThey know all too well that this could become a cause for sanctions and even for a military operation against them. Thatâs stupid and illogical.â
âWe proceed from the assumption that if anyone has information that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian regular army, then such proof must be presented to the UN Security Council and the UN inspectors,â Putin also said, underlining that the proof must be âconvincingâ and not based on ârumorsâ or any sort of âeavesdropped intelligence data,â conversations etc.
âEven in the US there are experts who question the reliability of the facts presented by the administration. These experts 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,â he acknowledged.
âAll other reasons and means that excuse using military force against an independent sovereign state are unacceptable and cannot be classified otherwise but as an aggression,â Putin noted.
âWe would be convinced by a detailed investigation and direct evidence of who exactly used chemical weapons and what substances were used. Then weâll be ready to take decisive and serious action,â said the president.
âThe questions are what exactly was done and who is to blame. This video does not answer these questions,â Putin said, sharing an opinion that this video is a compilation made by the militants who â even the US acknowledges â have links with Al-Qaeda and are notorious for extreme atrocities.
To read more at the Washington Post and RT click here and here.
