Published time: September 14, 2013 19:05
US President Barack Obama (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)
President Barack Obama has welcomed an agreement on the Syrian chemical weapons reached during the US-Russian talks in Geneva, but warned that America will remain prepared to act if diplomatic efforts fail.
The statement comes hours after US Secretary of State John Kerry
and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrapped up their
three-day talks in Geneva, where they reached a deal on handling the Syrian chemical arms
arsenal. The goal is the destruction or removal Syrian chemical
weapons by mid-2014. Damascus has also been given one
week to submit a comprehensive list of such weapons.
Obama welcomed the progress made in Geneva, which, in his words,
represents “an important, concrete step toward the goal of
moving Syria’s chemical weapons under international control.”
In a statement issued by the White House, the US president said
that the framework also provided the opportunity for the
elimination of Syrian chemical weapons “in a transparent,
expeditious, and verifiable manner, which could end the threat
these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but to the
region and the world.”
Obama underlined that the international community expected the
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime to live up to its public
commitments.
He added that Washington will continue working with the UN,
Russia, France, the UK and other international players to
“ensure that this process is verifiable” and that there
will be consequences should the Syrian regime not comply with the
framework agreed on Saturday in Geneva.
“And, if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared
to act,” Obama stated.
Yet again, the US president blamed the Syrian government for the
chemical weapons use on August 21 in a Damascus suburb.
While it is not contested that chemical weapons were used, the
international community is at odds as to who was behind incident
– the Assad government or rebel groups. Both sides have blamed
each other.
Russia believes that the chemical attack in Ghouta near Damascus
was fabricated, Lavrov said on Saturday in an
interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel.
“At this point there is plenty of evidence made by independent
experts, including on-site, in particular provided by a nun from the nearby convent, there are other
witnesses, Western correspondents have been there. Besides,
experts in Europe and the US, including twelve retired employees
of the Pentagon and the CIA, as you know sent, an open letter to
President Obama, explaining how it was all fabricated,”
explained Lavrov.
The US claims though that it has evidence proving that the regime
ordered the use of the weapons of mass destruction, but have so
far failed to make any such facts public. Following the attack,
Obama was pushing for Congress authorization for a “limited”
military strike in response to the August incident.
The decision was put on hold though after Russia proposed that
Damascus should place its chemical arms under international
control and join the international treaty prohibiting the
production, stockpiling and the use of such weapons.
The Syrian government accepted the proposal, which was then
discussed in detail by Kerry and Lavrov in Geneva.
“In part because of the credible threat of US military force,
we now have the opportunity to achieve our objectives through
diplomacy,” Obama said in a statement Saturday.
In conclusion, the American president pointed out that the use of
“chemical weapons anywhere in the world is an affront to human
dignity and a threat to the security of people
everywhere.” He went on to say that “we have a
duty” to preserve a world free from the fear of chemical weapons
for our children” and today marks an important step towards
achieving this goal.
On Thursday, Syria submitted documents to the UN required for the
legal accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
“Legally speaking Syria has become, starting today, a full
member of the convention,” Syrian UN
Ambassador Bashar Jaafari told reporters in New York.
He also said that Assad had signed a legislative decree approving
Syria’s accession to the convention and that the country’s
Foreign Minister Walid Moualem had written to the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to notify it of Damascus’
decision, which is enough to legally join the
treaty.
The UN confirmed on Saturday receiving the documents that Syria
submitted for joining the Chemical Weapons Convention.
“The Convention will enter into force for the Syrian Arab
Republic on the 30th day following the date of deposit of this
instrument of accession, namely on 14 October 2013,” the UN
press office said in a statement, Reuters cites.
Copyright: RT