{"id":26199,"date":"2017-04-06T12:23:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T12:23:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=26199"},"modified":"2017-04-06T12:23:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-06T12:23:03","slug":"turkey-doubts-damascus-explanation-gas-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/turkey-doubts-damascus-explanation-gas-attack.html","title":{"rendered":"Turkey doubts Damascus explanation of gas attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTurkey doubts Damascus explanation of gas attack<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Latest on the suspected chemical attack in Syria (all times local):<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t3 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTurkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes says he is unconvinced by Russia’s claim that Syrians killed in a northern town were the victims of toxic agents that were released by a Syrian airstrike hit a rebel chemical weapons arsenal.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTurkes spoke in an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Thursday. He described the Russian explanation as “unfulfilling.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTurkes says that “if the Syrian regime knew that there were chemical weapons in the warehouse, it should have also known that it should not have attacked it.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe added that there is “no excuse. To me, this is evidence that strengthens the fact that it was the work of the (Syrian) regime and that it was an attack against civilians.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tEarlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said in Damascus toxic agents were released after the Syrian army bombed a warehouse belonging to the al-Qaida’s branch in Syria that contained chemical weapons<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t2:30 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe top humanitarian aid official with the U.N.’s Syria office says he believes an awareness of the need to protect civilians is “sinking in” after a deadly chemical weapons attack this week in Syria’s northern Idlib province.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJan Egeland expressed hopes for a “watershed moment” with “all of these world leaders saying that say they have again woken up to the suffering of the civilians that we see every day.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tEgeland spoke to reporters on Thursday after a meeting of the U.N.’s humanitarian “task force” for Syria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe said the world body needs a “green light” to reach 1 million people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas of the war-torn country. He also called for 72-hour cease fires in the key zones of fighting so aid can get in, and protection for hospitals and evacuees who choose to leave violent areas voluntarily<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t2:10 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Kremlin says differences with Washington over the use of chemical weapons in Syria are unlikely to worsen U.S.-Russia relations.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPresident Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned the West on Thursday against rushing to blame Syrian President Bashar Assad for the attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCONTENT FROM TRUE MEDIA
\n\tWhat’s next for Algeria?
\n\tThe North African country looks toward the future of energy, tourism, diplomacy and industry.
\n\tHe saysthe West lacks objective evidence against Assad, and materials presented by Syrian activist White Helmets first-responder team cannot serve as a proof.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPeskov says that Russia believes “that the use of chemical weapons is absolutely inadmissible.” He added that the Syrian army must act to “prevent any chemical agents that can be used as weapons from falling into the terrorists’ hands.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that residents of Khan Sheikhoun have been exposed to chemicals contained in rebels’ chemical arsenal struck in a Syrian air raid.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t1:45 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSyria’s foreign minister says Damascus needs assurances that any fact- finding mission into Idlib’s attack would be impartial and not politicized.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWalid Moallem says Syria’s experience with past missions is “not encouraging.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe told a press conference in the Syrian capital on Thursday that any investigative mission would need to take off from Damascus and be far from the sphere of Turkish influence.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMoallem was asked if Syria would accept an international investigation. He said that “when we are sure we have convincing answers to these questions, we will give you an answer.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe also said that Syria provides the United Nations with intel about the transport of chemical weapons by “terrorists” between Iraq and Syria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t1:35 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBritish Foreign Minister Boris Johnson says he cannot understand how anyone on the U.N. Security Council could fail to sign up to a resolution condemning the chemical weapons attack this week that killed dozens in northern Syria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJohnson said on Thursday during a visit to Sarajevo that he “cannot understand how anybody on the U.N. Security Council could fail to sign up to a motion condemning the actions of the (Assad) regime that is almost certainly responsible for that crime.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJohnson described the attack that killed more than 80 people in Syria’s Idlib province as “abominable and contemptible” and said “those who did it deserve international condemnation.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe says “work is now going on in New York on the exact language (of the resolution) and I think we should have no hesitation in forcing it to a vote.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRussia argued at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday against holding Assad’s government responsible, with Moscow insisting a Syrian air strike had hit a rebel ammunition store that held chemical weapons.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t1:25 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Syrian foreign minister is categorically denying his government used chemical weapons in the attack this week in Idlib province or in any other attack.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWalid Moallem told reporters at a press conference in Damascus on Thursday that “the Syrian Arab Army has never used chemical weapons and will not use chemical weapons against Syrians and even against terrorists.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe says the Syrian army bombed a warehouse for al-Qaida’s branch in Syria that contained chemical weapons, echoing the Russian defense ministry’s claim.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe denounced the “chorus” of accusations against Syria, which he says was launched by countries known for their hostility.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMoallem also says Israel is the “main beneficiary” of these accusations.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t11:45 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tFrance’s foreign minister is urging for a resumption of Syria peace talks and wants President Bashar Assad’s government prosecuted over its alleged use of chemical weapons.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJean-Marc Ayrault told CNews television on Thursday that a new U.N. resolution and Syrian peace negotiations should be a top priority — not rushing into new military interventions.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAyrault says that “France is still seeking to talk with its partners on the Security Council … Russia in particular.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRussia argued at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday against holding Assad’s government responsible for a chemical weapons attack this week that killed more than 80 people in Idlib province.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, warned that the Trump administration would take action if the Security Council did not.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAyrault says “these crimes must not remain unpunished. … One day, international justice will rule on Assad.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t11:40 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTurkish media are quoting Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as saying that results from autopsies conducted on three Syrians brought to Turkey after this week’s assault in Idlib province show they were subjected to a chemical weapons attack.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe private DHA news agency quotes Bozdag as saying on Thursday that “it was determined after the autopsy that a chemical weapon was used.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMore than 80 people were killed in the suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. Turkish officials say that close to 60 victims of the attack were brought to Turkey for treatment and three of them died.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTurkish media have also reported that World Health Organization experts had taken part in the autopsies conducted in a hospital in the Turkish city of Adana late on Wednesday on Syrian victims.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t10:45 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe head of Israel’s Holocaust memorial is urging world leaders to end to the atrocities in Syria following a chemical weapon attack that killed dozens of civilians this week.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tYad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev on Thursday said the international community must “end the human suffering and provide humanitarian aid to the victims.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe noted that after World War II world leaders enacted universal principles and instituted organizations aimed at preventing future crimes against humanity. He said those tools should be utilized now to stop atrocities in Syria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAbout 6 million Jews were murdered in the systematic Nazi effort to kill all the Jews of Europe during WWII.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t10:30 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIsrael’s defense minister says he is “100 percent certain” that President Bashar Assad’s forces carried out the chemical attacks in Syria this week that killed dozens of civilians.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAvigdor Lieberman told the Yediot Ahronot newspaper on Thursday the attacks were conducted under Assad’s “direct and intentional order” and carried out with Syrian planes.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe gave no proof to support his position but his remarks mesh with earlier assessments from Israeli defense officials who said military intelligence believes Assad’s forces were behind the assault that killed 86.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe attacks in neighboring Syria have worried Israel, which has warned against “game-changing” weapons reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon from Syria, which along with Iran supports the militant group.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tChannel 2 TV reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet will convene later in the day to discuss the latest developments in Syria and their ramifications for Israel.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t___<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t5:15 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe United Nations humanitarian chief says that 41 donors have pledged $6 billion to help people in need in 2017 amid the Syrian crisis.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUnder-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien said what is now needed is to see the pledges turned into “cash for action” as soon as possible.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tO’Brien welcomed the pledges, which came at a regional conference in Brussels in Wednesday.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe says that “the needs have never been greater and the requirements have never been higher for the Syria crisis.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe added that the conference was “a momentous opportunity for much of the world to come together to commit more support and solidarity for Syrians and those affected across the region.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnother $3.7 billion was pledged for 2018 and beyond.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSource:- https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/europe\/the-latest-un-humanitarian-chief-says-6-billion-pledged\/2017\/04\/05\/d1054774-1a6f-11e7-8598-9a99da559f9e_story.html?utm_term=.2aa419e68719<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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