UN warns against letting Syria crisis 'spiral' out of control
Published Apr 13, 2018 08:33 am
By Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The United Nations warned world powers against letting the crisis over an alleged chemical attack against civilians in Syria from "spiraling out of control" after US President Donald Trump said "missiles will be coming."
Moscow has said the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta had been "totally stabilized" and would soon be patrolled by Russian military police. (AFP/File / STRINGER / MANILA BULLETIN)
As tensions mounted over a face-off with Damascus-ally Russia, opponents of unilateral US action called an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council for Thursday. Britain also scheduled an emergency cabinet meeting.
With punitive US military action seemingly imminent, Russia scrambled to deflect blame from Syria's Bashar al-Assad and, according to a monitor group, regime forces evacuated key defense buildings in Damascus.
Trump's bellicose tweets came in response to a warning from Russia's ambassador to Beirut, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to declare that any US missiles would be shot down "as well as the sources they were fired from."
If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria last year, it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from American warships in the Mediterranean, as Trump implied when he tweeted they would be "nice, new and 'smart.'"
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as CIA director Mike Pompeo met at the White House on Wednesday to discuss options, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
With the UN Security Council failing thus far to find a diplomatic solution, Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that time was running out.
"Today, I called the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiraling out of control," he said, referring to the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
‘Gas Killing Animal’
Moscow and Washington have so far vetoed each other's motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.
Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry said the Syrian regime flag was flying in Douma– the target of Saturday's attack – which it said indicated government forces have taken full control over the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta.
"The raising of a regime flag over a building in the town of Douma signified control over this town and consequently over Eastern Ghouta as a whole," Major General Yury Yevtushenko was quoted as saying Thursday by the Interfax news agency.
The Russian army has continued to deny their side's latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave in the Damascus suburbs, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the massacre.
"The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture," Sanders said. "The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack."
"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Trump's tweets were more belligerent – he told Russia "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" –and declared that US relations with Russia have plunged to a historic low.
Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.
Asia markets
With this development, Asia markets fell on Thursday as fears about a high-stakes US-Russia stand-off over Syria arrested a rally fuelled by Chinese President Xi Jinping's conciliatory trade message earlier in the week.
The latest developments hit US markets, with all three main indexes ending sharply down, while oil prices shot up on fears about supplies in the crude-rich region, hitting levels not seen since late 2014 and boosting energy firms.
Nervousness mixed with profit-taking in Asia as traders cashed in recent gains.
Tokyo was marginally down by the break, Hong Kong eased 0.2 percent and Shanghai slipped 0.3 percent. Sydney fell 0.2 percent and Singapore shed 0.1 percent, while Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were all lower.
Seoul was flat.
However, while investors are anxiously watching events in Syria, Kengo Suzuki and other strategists were less concerned.
"Stock markets are unlikely to react massively because its negative impact on corporate earnings would be limited – it would rather be positive for the military industry," they said in a joint commentary.
"Chances are that this problem could move markets only temporarily, considering it is unlikely to develop into a major 'war'."
Hong Kong's dollar fell to 7.85 per US dollar, its lowest level in 13 years, breaking the lowest point of its trading band as it is pressured by rising US interest rates.
Moscow has said the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta had been "totally stabilized" and would soon be patrolled by Russian military police. (AFP/File / STRINGER / MANILA BULLETIN)
As tensions mounted over a face-off with Damascus-ally Russia, opponents of unilateral US action called an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council for Thursday. Britain also scheduled an emergency cabinet meeting.
With punitive US military action seemingly imminent, Russia scrambled to deflect blame from Syria's Bashar al-Assad and, according to a monitor group, regime forces evacuated key defense buildings in Damascus.
Trump's bellicose tweets came in response to a warning from Russia's ambassador to Beirut, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to declare that any US missiles would be shot down "as well as the sources they were fired from."
If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria last year, it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from American warships in the Mediterranean, as Trump implied when he tweeted they would be "nice, new and 'smart.'"
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as CIA director Mike Pompeo met at the White House on Wednesday to discuss options, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
With the UN Security Council failing thus far to find a diplomatic solution, Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that time was running out.
"Today, I called the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiraling out of control," he said, referring to the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
‘Gas Killing Animal’
Moscow and Washington have so far vetoed each other's motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.
Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry said the Syrian regime flag was flying in Douma– the target of Saturday's attack – which it said indicated government forces have taken full control over the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta.
"The raising of a regime flag over a building in the town of Douma signified control over this town and consequently over Eastern Ghouta as a whole," Major General Yury Yevtushenko was quoted as saying Thursday by the Interfax news agency.
The Russian army has continued to deny their side's latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave in the Damascus suburbs, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the massacre.
"The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture," Sanders said. "The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack."
"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Trump's tweets were more belligerent – he told Russia "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" –and declared that US relations with Russia have plunged to a historic low.
Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.
Asia markets
With this development, Asia markets fell on Thursday as fears about a high-stakes US-Russia stand-off over Syria arrested a rally fuelled by Chinese President Xi Jinping's conciliatory trade message earlier in the week.
The latest developments hit US markets, with all three main indexes ending sharply down, while oil prices shot up on fears about supplies in the crude-rich region, hitting levels not seen since late 2014 and boosting energy firms.
Nervousness mixed with profit-taking in Asia as traders cashed in recent gains.
Tokyo was marginally down by the break, Hong Kong eased 0.2 percent and Shanghai slipped 0.3 percent. Sydney fell 0.2 percent and Singapore shed 0.1 percent, while Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were all lower.
Seoul was flat.
However, while investors are anxiously watching events in Syria, Kengo Suzuki and other strategists were less concerned.
"Stock markets are unlikely to react massively because its negative impact on corporate earnings would be limited – it would rather be positive for the military industry," they said in a joint commentary.
"Chances are that this problem could move markets only temporarily, considering it is unlikely to develop into a major 'war'."
Hong Kong's dollar fell to 7.85 per US dollar, its lowest level in 13 years, breaking the lowest point of its trading band as it is pressured by rising US interest rates.