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Russia vetoes 'unbalanced' US resolution on Syrian chemical weapons, but its draft fails Russia vetoes 'unbalanced' US resolution on Syrian chemical weapons, but its draft fails
(about 2 hours later)
A Russian resolution on the international inquiry into chemical attacks in Syria has failed at the UN Security Council, shortly after Russia vetoed a proposal by the US, calling it flawed and unbalanced. A Russian resolution on the international inquiry into chemical attacks in Syria has been rejected by the UN Security Council, shortly after Russia vetoed a rival proposal by the US, calling it flawed and unbalanced.
The US resolution was supported by 11 members of the Council. Apart from Russia, Bolivia also opposed the resolution, while China and Egypt abstained from voting. The US and Russia both put forward their respective resolutions to the UN Security Council on how the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) should proceed with investigating alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria, including the April incident in Khan Shaykhun. Washington pinned the blame for that attack on the Assad government without waiting for any solid evidence, and JIM inspectors never actually went on the ground to investigate.
Russia withdrew its own rival draft resolution on the inquiry renewal shortly before the UN Security Council vote on the US one, but later backed Bolivia’s proposal to put it back to a vote. The vetoed US resolution on extending the JIM mandate was supported by 11 members of the Security Council. Apart from Russia, Bolivia opposed the resolution, while China and Egypt abstained.
The Russia-sponsored draft was subsequently voted down as well, failing to gain enough support among the Security Council members. Russia initially withdrew its rival proposal shortly before the US one was voted on. It later put it back up for consideration at Bolivia's request. The Russian proposal was voted down, gaining the support of only four Council members, while seven rejected it and seven abstained. The US, France, the UK, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy and Uruguay voted against the draft.
The Russian resolution was backed by four Security Council members, while seven rejected the draft and another seven abstained from voting. Following the vote, Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia said he was disappointed with the outcome, as Russia's proposal was “aimed at the extension and qualitative improvement” of the probe. “We expected that various tricks would be used to make Russia look responsible for a potential end of the JIM probe,” Nebenzia said. He, in turn, placed the blame at the feet of those Council members who rejected the Russian draft.
The document was supported by co-sponsors Russia and China, as well as Kazakhstan and Bolivia. The US, France, the UK, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy and Uruguay voted against the draft. “There was nothing balanced in the US draft,” Nebenzia said, adding that its only goal was to “question the role of Russia in the process of Syrian political settlement.” In fact, the UK Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft said as much before the vote. “The UK Ambassador said Russia has no place in the political process in Syria. Here it is,” Nebenzia said.
Following the vote on the Russian draft, Nebenzia said he was disappointed with the outcome, as the proposal was “aimed at the extension and qualitative improvement of the JIM.”
“We expected that various tricks would be used to make Russia look responsible for a potential end of the JIM’s probe,” Nebenzia said. He, in turn, placed the blame at the feet of those Council members who rejected the Russian draft.
Criticizing the US-sponsored draft, Nebenzya said that the only goal behind the US resolution was to “question the role of Russia in the process of Syrian political settlement.”
“There was nothing balanced in the US draft,” Nebenzya said.
The Russian ambassador further noted that the genuine goal of the US draft was outlined by the UK Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, before the vote.
“The UK Ambassador said Russia has no place in the political process in Syria. Here it is,” Nebenzia said.
Nebenzia rejected allegations brought by Hailey that employees of the Russian mission at the UN ignored the calls of their American colleagues for the past week and that he was also “unavailable” when his US counterpart personally phoned him.
READ MORE: ‘Full of systemic deficiencies’: Russia slams OPCW report on Idlib chemical attack at UNSCREAD MORE: ‘Full of systemic deficiencies’: Russia slams OPCW report on Idlib chemical attack at UNSC
“Our experts got in touch [with the US side] as many times as they were contacted. It is not true,” Nebenzia said. Russia’s decision to veto the resolution provoked an angry reaction from the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley. She accused Moscow of “killing” the resolution, which had received backing from most members of the UN Security Council, and of “undermining” the UN’s ability to prevent chemical attacks in the future.
China said that while it would like the JIM to proceed with its probe, it must improve its working methods and procedures. Haley also accused the Russian mission of ignoring their American counterparts' attempts to contact them in the week before the vote. “Our experts got in touch [with the US side] as many times as they were contacted. It is not true,” Nebenzia responded.
Commenting on China's decision to abstain in the vote on the US proposal, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador, Wu Haitao, noted that while the US draft included “certain positive proposals” it failed to “fully answer the relevant concerns of some UNSC members.” Russia has repeatedly criticized the JIM's handling of the investigation of the chemical attacks in Syria. The Russian envoy to the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), Aleksandr Shulgin, said a week ago that the investigation is particularly skewed towards blaming the Assad government one theory behind the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun. Shulgin said the inquiry fails “basic standards” and ignores any information that would cast doubt on Damascus’s involvement.
Before the vote, on Tuesday, Russian UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya expressed his support for the idea of extending the UN-OPCW mission mandate. However, he stressed that this mandate should be “updated” to correct the “systemic flaws” affecting the work of the current investigative mission. He added that this was the goal of Russia’s draft resolution.
Russia’s decision to veto the resolution provoked an angry reaction from the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley. She accused Moscow of “killing” the resolution, which had received backing from most members of the UN Security Council, and of “undermining” the UN’s ability to prevent chemical attacks in the future.
Earlier, Russia repeatedly criticized the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) that was conducting a probe into chemical attacks in Syria under the UNSC mandate. The Russian OPCW envoy, Alexander Shulgin, said a week ago that the investigation in fact is particularly “skewed” towards one theory behind the chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib province that took place in April.
He also said that the inquiry fails “basic standards” of an investigation and ignores any information that would cast doubt on Damascus’s involvement in the April incident.
READ MORE: ‘Syrian opposition has motive for chemical attacks, while govt has every motive to prevent it’
“We are of the view that the JIM report, the seventh report, has been established by a flagrant disregard of [the] basic higher standards of the Chemical Convention, UN Security Council resolutions and previous decisions by the ECE executive council,” Shulgin said.“We are of the view that the JIM report, the seventh report, has been established by a flagrant disregard of [the] basic higher standards of the Chemical Convention, UN Security Council resolutions and previous decisions by the ECE executive council,” Shulgin said.
Later in November, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the probe into April Khan Shaykhun’s chemical incident of disregarding the Convention’s guidelines and of “dilettantism.” In response, the head of the JIM, Edmond Mulet, accused Moscow of attempts to protect the Syrian government. Later in November, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the probe of disregarding the Chemical Convention’s guidelines and of “dilettantism.” In response, the head of the JIM, Edmond Mulet, accused Moscow of trying to protect the Syrian government. The ministry firmly rejected Mulet’s allegations, saying he was only trying to whitewash his own reputation, shaken by the improper investigation.
The ministry firmly rejected Mulet’s allegations, stating, the official was only trying to whitewash his own reputation, shaken by the improper investigation of the Khan Shaykhun chemical incident. The JIM also ignored Moscow’s concerns over the standard of its report, backed with figures and facts. READ MORE: ‘Syrian opposition has motive for chemical attacks, while govt has every motive to prevent it’
Russia has repeatedly questioned the findings of the probe, pointing that the incident might have been the result of an explosion at a warehouse containing chemical agents or a false flag operation by rebels. Moscow is criticizing the OPCW investigators for failing to examine the site of the attack and instead relying on questionable testimonies from unidentified persons. The US-led coalition pinned the blame on the Syrian government immediately after the attack, and launched an airstrike at the Syrian Shayrat airbase, from which it claimed the chemical attack had been launched. Russia has repeatedly questioned the findings of the probe, pointing that the incident might have been the result of an explosion at a warehouse containing chemical agents or a false flag operation by rebels. Moscow is criticizing the OPCW investigators for failing to examine the site of the attack and instead relying on questionable testimonies from unidentified persons. The US-led coalition, pinning the blame on the Syrian government immediately after the attack, launched an airstrike at the Syrian Shayrat airbase, from which it claimed the chemical attack had originated.