Tag Archives: Sergei Lavrov

Foreign Policy, International, Politics, US

Russia Claims US And Allies “Not Interested” In Objective Chemical Attack Investigation

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Moscow, Russia – The United States, France and the United Kingdom have expressed no interest in an objective investigation in Syria’s Douma, Russia’s Ambassador to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Alexander Shulgin claimed on Monday, pointing to the missile attack on Syria “before the OPCW mission reached the site find out possible evidence.”

“The fact that this tripartite aggression announced as a response to the use of chemical weapons in Douma was committed right at the moment when OPCW inspectors were expected to go to Syria to carry out a probe into the Douma developments causes resentment and indignation,” the Russian diplomat said at a meeting of the OPCW Executive Council. “It means that the United States, France and the United Kingdom are not interested in any objective investigation. We see that they need no objective investigation. They put entire blame on the Syrian authorities beforehand, even before the OPCW mission reached the site to find out possible evidence to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.”

In addition, the Russian government claims to have “irrefutable proof” that the alleged chemical attack in Douma was operationalized by British security services with assistance from the United States, said Shulgin, echoing earlier statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“We have not just a ‘high level of confidence,’ as our Western partners uniformly put it; we have irrefutable proof that there was no chemical attack in Douma on April 7,” Shulgin said on Monday at a special meeting of the UN chemical watchdog’s executive council.

The Russian ambassador went on to say that the alleged chemical attack in Douma had actually been a “pre-planned false-flag attack by the British security services, which could have also been aided by their allies in Washington.”

[Read more: Russia Accuses UK of Masterminding Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria]

“Things unfolded according to the pre-written scenario prepared by Washington. There’s no doubt, the Americans play ‘first fiddle’ in all of this,” Shulgin said, while claiming that the “attack” was staged by “pseudo-humanitarian NGOs” in reference to the White Helmets, which have received millions in funding from the US and UK government.

Shulgin’s sentiments mirrored those of Lavrov, who during a news conference with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok, said, “We have irrefutable evidence that it was another staging, and the special services of a state which is in the forefront of the Russophobic campaign had a hand in the staging.”

Lavrov went on to warn, “God forbid something adventurous will be undertaken in Syria similar to the Libyan or Iraqi experience… I hope nobody dares to.”

The US, UK and France “are playing the hypocrite as they pretend to be the defenders of the international law. In fact, however, no one except for their allies… has any doubts that the major threat to the world comes from these ‘leaders’ of the Western [political] camp,” Shulgin said during the special meeting of the OPWC executive council.

Shulgin claimed that chemical, biological and radiological experts inspected the scene of the alleged chemical attack blamed on the Syrian government, but that the team found “not a single piece of evidence” that could substantiate the recordings distributed broadly on social and mass media – but said they uncovered witnesses who said the video purported to show the aftermath of the attack was staged.

RT reported that OPCW investigators are expected to start their work in Douma on Monday, after meeting with Syrian officials on Sunday to discuss details of the mission. The OPCW team is expected to finish its investigation by Wednesday and is to present a preliminary report to the UN prior to leaving Syria, according to local media.

https://youtu.be/hcOxFAp-nx4

International, Politics, US

Russia Responds to SOTU Address, Accuses U.S. of Wanting World Domination

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On Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded to comments made by President Obama during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, regarding U.S. relations with Russia.

In 2014, Obama signed a series of executive orders that placed sanctions on Russia, in order to increase the “diplomatic and financial costs of Russia’s aggressive actions towards Ukraine.”

In his address, Obama explained that by placing sanctions on Russia, the United States was “demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy.”

“We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the small,” said Obama. “By opposing Russian aggression, and supporting Ukraine’s democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies.”

In his response, Lavrov stated that by placing sanctions on Russia, the United States was harming mutual partners, and mutual work between the nations was suffering because of it.

“We do not want, and we will not allow, any new Cold War,” said Lavrov. “Our Western partners should understand that security in the modern world is impossible through attempts of one-sided actions or one-sided pressure on partners in mutual work.”

Obama said that while he “heard from some folks” that President Putin’s aggression was a “masterful display of strategy and strength,” he believed that the United States was the nation with a strong and strategic economy.

“Today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated with its economy in tatters,” said Obama. “That’s how America leads – not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.”

Lavrov countered Obama’s comment, insisting that the “attempts to isolate Russia will not get any result.” He went on to say that because of the lack of bilateral dialogue, “relations between Moscow and Washington have been seriously exacerbated.”

“The Americans have taken the course of confrontation and do not assess their own steps critically at all,” said Lavrov. “Yesterday’s speech by President Obama shows that at the center of their philosophy is only one thing: ‘We are number one and everyone else has to respect that.’ This is a little outdated and does not reflect today’s reality.”

International

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims Syrian sarin gas was homemade

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Bashar Assad’s alleged gassing of Syrian citizens was the main argument in support of American intervention in the situation.  It has consequently been the main source of controversy and most discussed example of the US’s total outsider status and lack of understanding of the country’s situation.  The Western world simply does not know which side of the conflict used the gas.

Now, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is saying that a study of the August 21 Damascus gas attack – the event which raised the question of foreign intervention – conducted by the Russian government shows that the gas was homemade.  This would indicate that the gas was used by the rebels, rather than the Syrian government which has stockpiles of the chemical weapon.

chemical weapons

Samples of the gas were compared to homemade gas used in a similar incident in Aleppo in March, and, according to Lavrov, matched though the concentration was higher in the August attack.  Other evidence of rebel guilt was gleaned from news articles in which rebel fighters described being handed strange weapons they didn’t know how to operate.

Homemade sarin gas can be distinguished from industrially manufactured versions of the product by the lack of stabilizers present in the mix.  Without stabilizers, the substance has a very short shelf life – a few months for the purest versions, and weeks for others – and cannot be stored in aluminum casings.  According to Russian officials, the gas used has no stabilizers present.  This necessarily means that the gas was recently produced, though Assad has over 1,000 tons of the substance stockpiled, and French officials have had them in their sights for over 25 years.

The study took place at the request of the Syrian government, which Russia has staunchly backed since the beginning of the conflict.  The Syrian government had also requested that the UN investigate the Aleppo incident, but the UN did not respond to the request.  Syria’s current government is an important Russian ally in the Middle East, providing the country with a warm-water Naval port.  The presence of Saudi-backed Al Qaida and Chechen rebels in the opposition, though, has solidified Russian support of Assad.

Lavrov presented his findings to the UN and to John Kerry, though he emphasized Russia’s continued support of the bilateral plan to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles.  Russia will not support any action which could lead to the authorization of military force in the country, however.  A UN resolution adopted Thursday is legally binding but provides no means of automatic enforcement.

Lavrov’s evidence does show that rebel use of the gas is a serious possibility, and perfectly illustrates the prudence with which America and other countries should approach the situation in Syria.

Joshua Cook from BenSwann.com asked Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC, R) if the evidence regarding Assad using chemical weapons on Aug. 21st was a “slam dunk?” Congressman Jeff Duncan’s spokesperson Allen Klump told him, “the Congressman has seen evidence that the chemical weapons used in Syria came from Assad. However, that doesn’t change the Congressman’s position that there are no good guys in this situation, and that we do not need to be involved militarily in Syria.”