Obama weighs fresh Syria sanctions

WASHINGTON - With diplomacy faltering and Aleppo under siege, President Barack Obama is considering fresh Syria sanctions that could claw deeper into the regime and target its Russian backers.

Officials and diplomats said the strategy is still being thrashed out, but initial efforts could focus on passing UN sanctions against those implicated in chemical weapons attacks.

A UN-backed panel is expected in the next few weeks to present new findings about deadly chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015.

The panel -- formed by the United Nations and the independent Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons -- has already pinned the blame on the Syrian Air Force.

But the latest report, due before October 27, is expected to go into more detail about who is responsible, paving the way for targeted sanctions.

Supporters say the sanctions would send a signal that despite years of fighting, innumerable atrocities and at least 300,000 deaths, some small measure of accountability in Syria remains.

And while most of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle and top military aides are already the subjects of US travel bans and assets freezes, officials believe that targeting lower-level military officers would have a chilling effect on Syrian military morale.

But the greatest impact may be diplomatic.

A demand for sanctions would put Russia in the uncomfortable position of defending chemical weapons use by its ally, and could force Moscow to wield its veto in the UN Security Council.

The report had earlier been delayed, partly to provide space for US and Russian efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Those have now failed, heaping pressure on Obama to act to stop the carnage in Syria.

"What we are doing now is a different type of diplomacy -- one which might be more robust -- it could be resolutions which are designed to put pressure on them," a Security Council diplomat said.

"The strategy that we are on is to try to change Russian behavior and let's face it we have not been very successful at that in the year that they have been militarily supporting Assad," the diplomat added.

"There is already work going on a draft resolution to take forward the 3rd and further 4th report in terms of what we do about it."

GAINING LEVERAGE

If the UN route fails, attention is likely to turn to sanctions agreed by the United States, the European Union and other allies.

Officials indicated the scope could be broad, covering not only Syrians but also Russian firms that provided the means to carry out the bombing of civilian areas.

That would be intended as a strong signal to Moscow that it is not immune and continued support for the regime would come at a price.

The sanctions would be targeted at specific firms -- aircraft parts suppliers or chemicals producers -- to overcome opposition in European capitals to broad sanctions against Russia, a major trading partner.

But with Russia and Syria dropping bombs on besieged Aleppo and a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions looming, key hurdles to action have fallen away.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, eyeing the carnage in Aleppo and the severity of the refugee crisis that has rocked Europe, is reportedly taking a tougher line.

After a call with Obama last week, the two leaders decried "barbarous Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes against eastern Aleppo," saying in unusually strong language that Moscow and Damascus bear a special responsibility to stop the fighting.

But none of the sanctions options under consideration is likely to directly end fighting in Aleppo.

Several officials poured cold water on the idea that Obama would reverse years of opposition to military action against the regime by approving air or cruise missile strikes against airfields or other targets.

"There are significant consequences for using US military force against the Assad regime," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "I'd say the most important of those consequences that we should be mindful of is dragging the United States into another ground war in the Middle East."

Sending in troops "would have grave consequences for our national security," he added. "It would be expensive, it would put at risk more American lives and it's unclear how a conflict like that would end."

Obama was elected with a mandate to draw down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He has sent around 300 troops to Syria, focused on the battle against the Islamic State group, but has refused to plunge them into a civil war that is not deemed in America's strategic interest.

He has backed diplomacy instead as the only way out of the crisis.

But with just months left in office, the siege and bombardment of Syria's second city has put his reluctance to use force in Syria back under the spotlight, exposing deep unease within his administration.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kerry warns of 'consequences' if Syria does not abide by resolution

UNITED NATIONS -- US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Friday the UN Security Council would impose measures on Syria if it does not comply with a resolution on its chemical weapons.

"Should the regime fail to act, there will be consequences," Kerry told the Security Council after the vote sealing a US-Russian agreement.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Assad warns US of failure if it attacks Syria

MOSCOW - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Western claims his regime used chemical weapons were an "insult to common sense" and warned the United States it faced failure if it attacked, in an interview with a Russian newspaper published Monday.

Assad told pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia in an extensive interview that Syria would never be a "puppet" of the West and said Washington had never succeeded in reaching its political aims through war.

"The comments (accusing the regime of using chemical weapons) made by politicians in the West and other countries are an insult to common sense... It is nonsense," Assad said.

Assad accused the United States of first making the accusations that his regime used chemical weapons in an attack outside Damascus that activists say killed hundreds, and only later starting to look for proof.

He said the frontline in the area where the incident took place was not clear and the Syrian regime would have risked killing its own army forces if it used chemical weapons.

"This contradicts elementary logic," Assad said.

"Such accusations are completely political and the reason for them is a number of victories by the government forces against the terrorists."

He said it is "not us but our enemies who are using chemical weapons."

With calls mounting for military action against Syria, Assad warned Western states to stop interfering in the affairs of other countries and instead "listen to the opinion of the people".

"If someone is dreaming of making Syria a puppet of the West, then this will not happen.

"We are an independent state, we will fight against terrorism and we will build relations with whom we want for the good of the Syrian people."

He warned the United States against attacking Syria and argued Washington's previous military campaigns in recent years had always fallen short of their aims.

"The United States faces failure just like in all the previous wars they waged, starting with Vietnam and up to our days," he said.

"America has taken part in many wars but could not once achieve its political goals for which the wars were started. Yes, it is true, the great powers can wage wars but can they win them?" he asked.

Russia is seen as Assad's last remaining major ally and has also backed his position on the claimed chemical attack, implying it was staged by the rebels with the aim of discrediting the regime.

Assad said he is in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin "from time to time", not by telephone, but by intermediaries visiting respective capitals.

Asked about Russia's hugely controversial contract to deliver Damascus with S-300 missile systems, Assad said that "all contracts agreed with Russia are being fulfilled."

"Russia is supplying Syria with what is needed to protect Syria and its people," he said.

His comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned US Secretary of State John Kerry over the "extremely dangerous consequences" of launching military action against the Syrian regime.

However Assad also launched a rambling diatribe against Muslim states who are strongly supportive of the rebels.

Assad said Qatar was a "sponsor of terrorists" while Turkey "trains and provides corridors for them".

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was a country "which only has money and someone who has just money cannot create a civilised society," Assad said.

Asked about the chances of organising the so-called Geneva-2 peace conference backed by Russia and the United States, Assad replied: "We cannot start a political dialogue until the support from abroad for terrorism is halted."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com