US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused Russia of lies and coverups over chemical attacks in Syria ahead of a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on April 13.
“I will tell you that, first of all, did a chemical weapons attack happen? Yes. The US has analyzed, yes it has happened. The UK has analyzed, yes, it has happened. And France has analyzed, yes, it has happened. Three countries,” Haley told journalsts.
Berofe the meeting:
Later, speaking at the UNSC meeting called by Russia to discuss the prospect of a possible US strike on Syria, Haley said:
“This meeting should not be about so-called ‘unilateral threats,’ it should be about the multiple actions Russia has taken to bring us to this point.”
She also revealed that President Donald Trump “has not yet made a decision about possible action in Syria, but should the United States and our allies decide to act in Syria, it will be in defense of a principle on which we all agree.”
“It will be in defense of a bedrock international norm that benefits all nations,” Haley said.
During the meeting, Russian Ambassador to UN Vassily Nebenzia once again slammed the US attitude towards the situation in Syria.
“The irresponsible behavior of the US, trampling on the international law and on the sovereignty of the other countries is unworthy of their status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This status needs the highest degree of responsibility, and not the right to saber rattle, inexistent in the international behavior code,” Nebenzia stated.
“The perpetrators are named before any investigation, and apparently they are to be punished,” he added. “The US has adopted a largely consumerist approach to the UNSC. The Security Council is needed for them simply to cover the Iraqi test tubes or the Libyan no-flight zone. You are showing us the same virtual empty test tube now, too.”
Earlier on April 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow had got indisputable data that the April 7 Douma chemical attack in Syria was staged by special services of a foreign country.
