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Middle East and North Africa

Moscow urges to adhere to international law when dealing with the Syrian conflict

Preparation for military action against Syria evident, says permanent envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov

Permanent envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov. Photo ITAR-TASS archive/ Grigory Sysoev

Permanent envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov. Photo ITAR-TASS archive/ Grigory Sysoev

Moscow has called on the West to deal with the Syrian conflict according to the international law.

"All we can do now is to call on the western countries and their leaders and, using approximately the same expressions which they had used when they called on Russia to take the right side in history, to urge them to take the right side in the international law and avoid the temptation of taking the international law in their own hands," Russia 's permanent envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said in a live broadcast on Rossya-24 television on Thursday.

Signs of real preparation of military action against Syria are evident, he said, adding that “the situation remains quite tense.”

“I have a feeling of déjà-vu. Back in the day I worked closely with Balkan issues and I remember the Bosnian situation with the infamous explosion of a mine in a Saraevo market of unknown origin.” Chizhov provided another example of Kosovo with Finnish forensic teams conducting an investigation and then suddenly disappeared. “I think everyone remembers what happened 10 years ago, when a vial with white powder appeared on the floor during a session of the UN Security Council, after which the Iraq war began,” he added, concluding: “This regrettable scenario is playing out once again.”

US and allies are currently considering a military strike against Damascus. Earlier this week NATO council failed to reach a decision on the Syrian operation. At the same time, Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen has openly placed the blame for chemical weapon use on Damascus, - something that NATO has not done before. He said that information available from a variety of sources indicates that it is the Syrian regime who is responsible for the attack, emphasizing that using chemical weapons August 21 in Damascus suburbs is a direct violation of international norms and those responsible for it should be held accountable.

The British government plans to justify the likely military strike on Syria by the “humanitarian intervention” doctrine, judging by the evaluation published by its legal consultants on Thursday.

Residents of the Syrian capital are stocking up on food in case of emergency that may come after possible air strikes. In several blocks of Damascus downtown the sound of test air alert was heard.

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