 |
| from: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/09/20139611754501728.html[EPA] |
Syrian Government is urging the US congress to
reconsider and to "use wisdom" in the upcoming and inevitable
retaliation of US when authorized.
"We urge you not to take reckless
measures as you have the power to steer the United States from the path of war
to that of diplomacy,"
The head of Syria's parliament has urged
the US Congress to vote against military action targeting the Syrian regime.
The message has been sent to every member
of the US congress before they vote on a request from U.S President Barack
Obama for the use of military force against Syria.
Obama suggested limited strikes to answer
an alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21 that Obama thinks that the
Syrian Government is responsible, which is the Syrian government denies.
"Any military intervention would be
illegal because Syria is a sovereign country and does not represent a threat to
the United States, and any strike would not be authorised by the (UN) Security
Council," Lahham said.
Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad pleaded that
the US congress to "show wisdom" on the issue regarding the
authorization of the military strikes against Syria.
President Bashar al-Assad has also warned
of the consequences of any such action.
"We cannot only talk about a Syrian
response, but what could happen after the first strike," Assad said in an
interview with Le Figaro newspaper.
"Everyone will lose control of the
situation once the powder keg explodes. Chaos and extremism will spread. There
is a risk of regional war."-Russian Warnings
Meanwhile, Russia warned the United States
against targeting Syria's chemical arsenal as Washington considered the use of
force against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"With particular concern we perceive
the fact that military infrastructure facilities securing the integrity and
safety of Syria's chemical arsenal are among the possible targets for military
strikes," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"In this respect we warn US
authorities and their allies against striking any chemical facilities and
adjacent territories," the statement said.
"Such actions would represent a
dangerous new turn in the tragic development of the Syria crisis," the
ministry said, warning that the strikes could prompt the release of highly
toxic substances.
"Besides, one cannot rule out that
militants and terrorists would gain access to chemical weapons or chemical
warfare agents as a result of such a reckless move," the ministry said,
expressing concern over the possible spread of chemical weapons further across
Syria and beyond its borders.
"The US bombing of Iraq's Al Muthanna
chemical storage facility led to a serious contamination of adjacent territory in
1991," the statement said.
"For peaceful residents of Syria and
other countries of the region the consequences can be even more severe."
Another Russia ship from the Black Sea
fleet departed for Syria, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a source at
navy headquarters.
The landing ship left the Black Sea port of
Sevastopol on Friday morning for the eastern Mediterranean with "special
cargo," according to the report carried by Interfax, a privately owned
agency known for its independent contacts within Russia's armed forces.
The Defence Ministry was unable to confirm
the ship's departure.
(Straight News)
