Russia against use of force in Syria resolution

Damascus: Moscow insisted today that a new Security Council resolution on Syria not allow the use of force, while the Arab country's main opposition group demanded a swift international response following the UN report that confirmed chemical weapons were used outside Damascus last month.  Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded at a crossing point along Syria's volatile border with Turkey, Syrian activist groups said. At least 15 people were wounded in the explosion at the rebel-controlled Bab al-Hawa crossing, they said.  In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia "spoke clearly" about rejecting the use of force when the agreement on Syria abandoning its chemical weapons was worked out in Geneva between US and Russian envoys. 

But if signs emerge that Syria is not fulfilling the agreement or there are reports of further chemical weapons use, "then the Security Council will examine the situation," Lavrov said, suggesting the issue could be reconsidered. 
He spoke at a news conference with French counterpart Laurent Fabius. France and the United States say a military option remains on the table and are pushing for the UN resolution to reflect that.  The meeting in Moscow came a day after UN inspectors submitted their report on the August 21 chemical weapons attack that precipitated the heightened tensions over Syria.  It was the first official confirmation by impartial experts that chemical weapons were used in the attack near Damascus, which killed hundreds. 

Although the report confirmed chemical weapons were used, it did not say who used them, and Lavrov and Fabius differed sharply on their interpretations.  "The report exposes the regime," Fabius said. "On the basis of the information of our external agents, we consider that the report proves the responsibility of the regime for the chemical weapons attack of August 21."  The US, Britain and France jumped on evidence in the report, especially the type of rockets, the composition of the sarin agent, and trajectory of the missiles, to declare that President Bashar Assad's government was responsible. Russia, a staunch ally of the Syrian regime, disagreed. 
Lavrov said the Russian side has "serious reason to suggest that this was a provocation" by the rebels fighting Assad's forces.