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Russia says Syrian 'chemical attack' was staged Russia says Syrian 'chemical attack' was staged
(about 2 hours later)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a reported chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said a reported chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents.
The US and France have said they have proof it took place, and, alongside the UK, they are considering launching military retaliation against Syria. The US and France say they have proof it took place and, alongside the UK, are considering military retaliation.
Russia, a Syrian ally, has warned the US that air strikes risk a new war. Russia, which has military forces deployed in Syria in support of the government, has warned that US air strikes risk starting a war.
Independent chemical weapons inspectors are en route to the Eastern Ghouta area to look for evidence. They are expected to arrive on Saturday. Independent chemical weapons inspectors are expected to arrive in the area of the alleged attack on Saturday.
During a press briefing on Friday, Mr Lavrov said he had "irrefutable evidence" that the attack was staged as part of a "Russophobic campaign" led by one country, which he did not name.During a press briefing on Friday, Mr Lavrov said he had "irrefutable evidence" that the attack was staged as part of a "Russophobic campaign" led by one country, which he did not name.
Russia has requested a United Nations meeting in New York later in the day, but this has not yet been confirmed. Russia has requested a UN meeting in New York later in the day but it has not yet been confirmed that this will happen.
The White House says it is continuing to assess intelligence and talk to its allies on how to respond. The White House says it is continuing to assess intelligence and talk to its allies about how to respond.
The delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will start its investigations on Saturday, but, to ensure their safety, few details are expected to be released about their movements. A delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will start its investigations in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region on Saturday but few details are expected to be released about its movements for safety reasons.
Why is the West considering military action? What proof is there of a chemical attack?
The call for action comes after a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, which killed dozens of people, according to opposition activists, rescue workers and medics. The suspected attack, denied by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, was carried out in the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma on Saturday, reportedly killing dozens of people.
Chemical weapons attacks are suspected to have taken place in Syria before. Last year, the US launched a retaliatory strike after one was said to have taken place in Khan Sheikhoun. Control over the town has since passed from rebels to the Syrian and Russian military authorities.
President Bashar al-Assad's government - which receives military backing from Russia - has denied involvement in any chemical attack, calling the reports "fabricated". The Violations Documentation Center (VDC), a Syrian opposition network which records alleged violations of international law in Syria, said bodies were found foaming at the mouth, and with discoloured skin and burns to the eyes.
After six weeks of heavy fighting and an estimated 1,700 civilian deaths in the Eastern Ghouta region, the Syrian government is now said to have control of the area, which lies just outside Damascus. On Thursday, unnamed US officials told NBC News they had obtained blood and urine samples from victims which had tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent.
The final evacuations of about 4,000 remaining Islamist fighters and civilians continued on Friday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organisation. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hayley, told the network: "We definitely have enough proof but now we just have to be thoughtful in our action."
Is there proof of the recent 'chemical attack'? French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had "proof" that the Syrian government had attacked Douma with chemical weapons but did not give further details.
The Violations Documentation Center (VDC), which records alleged violations of international law in Syria, said bodies were found foaming at the mouth, and with discoloured skin and burns to the eyes. A UN report last year found the Syrian government responsible for a deadly chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, in which more than 80 people died.
On Thursday, unnamed US officials said they had blood and urine samples from victims which had tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent, according to NBC News. That attack was followed by a US cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase.
The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hayley, told the network: "We definitely have enough proof, but now we just have to be thoughtful in our action." How is the West responding this time?
French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had "proof" that the Syrian government had attacked Douma with chemical weapons, without giving further details. In the UK, cabinet ministers agreed it was "highly likely" the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the alleged attack and said the use of chemical weapons must not "go unchallenged".
In the UK, cabinet ministers agreed that it was "highly likely" the Assad regime was responsible for the alleged attack and said the use of chemical weapons must not "go unchallenged". During a phone call late on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump agreed to "keep working closely" on the issue, Mrs May's office said.
During a phone call late on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump agreed on the need to deter chemical weapon use in Syria. The US president has said Russian President Vladimir Putin bears responsibility for the alleged attack in Douma because of his support for the Syrian government.
They agreed to "keep working closely" on the issue, Mrs May's office said in a statement. On Wednesday he warned Russia that missiles were "coming" but later tweeted that he had "never said when". It "could be very soon or not so soon at all", he said.
What has Trump said about the attack? What is Russia saying about the risk of war?
On Sunday, the day after the attack, the US president said Russian President Vladimir Putin bore responsibility for the "atrocity" in rebel-held Douma, because of his support for the Syrian government.
Mr Trump, who has cancelled a planned trip abroad, has been canvassing support for strikes from the leaders of France and the UK.
On Wednesday he said the missiles were "coming", but on Thursday he tweeted that he had "never said when". It "could be very soon or not so soon at all", he said.
He later told reporters at the White House: "We're having a meeting today on Syria... We have to make some further decisions. So they'll be made fairly soon."
Also on Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis told a congressional panel: "I believe there was a chemical attack and we are looking for the actual evidence."
What is Russia's position?
Russia has described the reports of a chemical attack as a "provocation" designed to justify Western intervention.Russia has described the reports of a chemical attack as a "provocation" designed to justify Western intervention.
"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday. Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of putting international peace at risk.
He accused Washington of putting international peace at risk and said the situation was "very dangerous". "The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," he said on Thursday.
Senior Russian figures, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat.Senior Russian figures, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat.
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich criticised Mr Trump's rhetoric.On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich criticised Mr Trump's rhetoric.
"We cannot depend on the mood of someone on the other side of the ocean when he wakes up," the Tass news agency quoted him as saying."We cannot depend on the mood of someone on the other side of the ocean when he wakes up," the Tass news agency quoted him as saying.
After six weeks of heavy fighting and an estimated 1,700 civilian deaths in the Eastern Ghouta, rebels are now leaving the area.
The final evacuations of about 4,000 remaining Islamist fighters and civilians were taking place on Friday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organisation.