Moscow Rejects Any UNSC Draft Resolution Accusing Syria of Chemical Attack in Idleb Countryside: Zakharova

MOSCOW- Russia categorically rejects any UN Security Council draft resolution accusing the Syrian government of launching chemical attack in Idleb countryside, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Zakharova said that the US and other countries submitted a draft resolution on Syria which is “completely” based on fake reports, adding that the such a resolution undermines talks on reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

On Tuesday, terrorist groups active in Khan Sheikhoun as well as their western and regional sponsors and supporters and their affiliated media outlets circulated claims accusing the Syrian army of using poisonous gases in attacks on Khan Sheikhoun town.

Syria categorically denied using toxic gases neither in Khan Shaikhoun town in Idleb countryside nor in any other Syrian village or city and stressed that the Syrian Arab Army doesn’t have any kind of chemical weapon, according to an official source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

Also, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces denied the claims and stressed that the Syrian army has not used chemical materials in Khan Shaikhoun.

 “The army hasn’t used and won’t use chemical materials at any place or at any time not in the past and not in future, ” the command affirmed, saying the army never commits such vicious crimes.

On its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Syrian Air Force has destroyed a warehouse in Idlib province where chemical weapons were being produced and stockpiled before being shipped to Iraq.  The strike targeted a major terrorists’ ammunition depot east of the town of Khan Sheikhoun, clarified the ministry, according to Russian media.

In her press conference Wednesday, Maria Zakharova said as quoted by Sputnik that “on April 4, the Syrian Air Force aircraft carried out airstrikes on the extremists’ positions on the eastern outskirts of Khan Shaykhun as part of the liquidation of consequences of the recent breakthrough of terrorists in the Hama province. Military equipment and ammunition depots were targets [of the airstrikes]. Workshops producing landmines filled with poisonous substances were located on the territory of the facility.”

According to her, “claims about alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against Khan Shaikhoun immediately appeared in the Internet and biased media sources.”

“These facts together with soil samples were recorded and handed over to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Unfortunately, without taking any action, guided solely by fake information, the United States, France and the United Kingdom once again… submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that is of obvious anti-Syrian nature and is capable of igniting an already difficult internal political situation in Syria and the region as a whole,” Zakharova said.

“White Helmets”, “Syrian Observatory for Human Rights” (SOHR) Can’t Be Reliable Sources

The Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman went on to say that the so-called “White Helmets” and the “Syrian Observatory for Human Rights” (SOHR) cannot be considered to be reliable sources as they have been repeatedly caught spreading fake reports on the situation in the country.

“Currently, the main goal is to objectively figure out what happened. So far, I want to emphasize that falsified reports on this issue come only from the notorious White Helmets and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that has already become infamous. Neither the White Helmets, nor the SOHR can be trusted. They have repeatedly undermined trust by [making] fake footages and [reporting] information later denied by all parties.”

Zakharova said that same images as were used to illustrate situation in Aleppo are now used to allegedly prove the chemical attack in Idlib.

The ministry spokeswoman said that the reports by the White Helmets and the SOHR are conflicting as the White Helmets constantly changes its version of what happened. “First they speak about bombings from a helicopter or a warplane. Then they tell about the use of chlorine, then about sarin, change data about the number of victims. According to photos and videos spread on social media, representatives of the White Helmets are providing the victims with help while they [the NGO] have no reliable means of protection and act extremely unprofessionally.”

She added that the Idlib province has been controlled by terrorists since 2014.

She said that Russia categorically rejects the draft resolution on chemical weapons in Syria, adding that the West-proposed resolution is of “anti-Syrian nature” and risks making negotiations process impossible.

“I wanted to note the text [of the resolution] is categorically unacceptable. Its main problem — and it is a fundamental one — is that it anticipates the results of the probe and immediately finds those to be blamed.”

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that Moscow calls for a full-fledged investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Idlib.

She added that resolutions which had been approved earlier are enough to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. If some of the UNSC members believe that a new resolution is needed it should look differently; and we have proposals.”

H.M