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Russia opposes Syria sanctions after UN gas attacks probe
[FRANCE24] Russia on Thursday dismissed as "unconvincing" the findings of a UN-led investigation showing that Syrian forces had carried out three chemical attacks, and said no sanctions should be imposed."We believe that the proof is not there for any punitive action to be taken. It's simply not there," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told news hounds following a closed-door Security Council meeting. A joint United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... -Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel concluded that government forces carried out three chlorine gas attacks on villages in 2014 and 2015. It was the first time an international probe blamed  Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Horror of Homs... 's forces after years of denial from Damascus. But Churkin told the council that the findings were not strong enough to trigger sanctions. The conclusions "in most cases... are not substantiated by sufficient testimonial basis, first of all material proof, they are full of contradictions and therefore unconvincing," he said, according of a text of his remarks. The findings are "not definitive, have no legally binding force and cannot serve as accusatory conclusions for taking legal decisions," he added. Britannia and La Belle France pressed demands for sanctions, arguing that UN resolutions provided for such action in response to the use of chemical weapons. Posted by: Fred 2016-10-28 |
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