Military intervention to wipe out political efforts to solve Syria crisis: Russian FM

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Military intervention to wipe out political efforts to solve Syria crisis: Russian FM

(Xinhua) 18:13, August 26, 2013

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MOSCOW, Aug. 26 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Monday calls for military intervention in Syria will wipe out efforts to hold an international meeting for peaceful settlement of the crisis.

During a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Lavrov expressed Moscow's deep concerns over remarks made by some U.S. officials alleging the Syrian government was behind "the purported use of chemical weapons in eastern al-Ghouta last week," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russia urged Western countries not to inflict military pressure on Damascus and to create "normal conditions" for UN experts to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation in Syria, the statement said.

Those who are actively calling for military intervention "are frankly trying to wipe out the Russian-U.S. joint efforts in the past few months to convene an international conference on the peaceful settlement of the crisis," it added.

The foreign and defense ministers of the United States and Russia agreed in early August to host a peace conference on Syria in Geneva as early as possible, reaffirming their belief in a political settlement of the protracted conflict in the Arab country.

However, the military intervention frenzy was stirred up when the Syrian rebels accused the government troops Wednesday of using chemical gas in an attack on the eastern al-Ghouta countryside of Damascus.

During an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia published Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied the allegation of using chemical weapons, calling it "an insult to common sense."

U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday talked over phone with his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, to discuss possible coordinated response to the alleged chemical weapons use by Syria's government forces.

On Saturday, Obama convened a meeting of his national security team to assess the latest intelligence concerning the alleged chemical attack in Syria, and discuss the options of possible U.S. and international responses.

White House officials said the United States has a range of options available, ranging from a cruise missile strike to a more sustained air campaign against Syria, and will act "very deliberately" to make decisions consistent with its national interests and assessment on how to advance its objectives in Syria.

（Editor：LiangJun、Zhang Qian）