SEPT 10- Syria on Monday welcomed a call from Russia, its close ally, to place Syrian chemical arsenals under international control, then destroy them to avert a US strike, but did not offer a time frame or any other specifics.
The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem appeared to mark the first official acknowledgement by Damascus that it possesses chemical weapons and reflected what appeared to be an attempt by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to avoid US military attack.
“Syria welcomes the Russian proposal out of concern for the lives of the Syrian people, the security of our country and because it believes in the wisdom of the Russian leadership that seeks to avert American aggression against our people,” Moallem said during a visit to Moscow, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
Following the development, a senior US official said the Barack Obama administration intends to follow up with Russia to see whether a plan for Syria to hand over its chemical weapons is credible. But Ben Rhodes, a US deputy national security adviser, told MSNBC that Washington would not ease pressure on Damascus and was wary of a stalling exercise.
Moscow earlier seized the diplomatic initiative by announcing a plan for Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control, which it said could forestall US air strikes. Russia seized the diplomatic initiative Monday with a plan for Syria to head off the threat of US military strikes by putting its chemical weapons under international control.
“I think we will just have to follow up with them and with other countries going forward to assess the seriousness of this proposal,” Rhodes said.
“At the same time, it is going to be important that we don’t take the pressure off.” He said Washington would be interested in the Russian initiative only if it is a credible proposal. “What we don’t want to have is another stalling exercise.”
Moallem’s statement came a few hours after US Secretary of State John Kerry said Assad could resolve the crisis surrounding the alleged use of chemical weapons by his forces by surrendering control of “every single bit” of his arsenal to the international community by the end of the week.
Moallem and Lavrov didn’t make any immediate reference to Kerry’s statement when they spoke to the media after their talks, but a few hours later Lavrov went before cameras to say Moscow would urge Syria to quickly place its weapons under international control and then dismantle it.
‘US will pay the price if it attacks’
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Washington on Monday to brace for retaliation if US forces attacked his war-torn country, as he denied using chemical weapons against his people. “You’re going to pay the price if you’re not wise. There are going to be repercussions,” he told CBS television. “It’s an area where everything is on the brink of explosion.”
He also warned US of the risks of possible chemical attacks by rebels or terrorists if there was outside intervention in Syria. In reaction, a White House spokesman, Ben Rhodes said the US is ready for any contingency. “The US military is far stronger than any of Assad or his allies.”
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