Photograph courtesy of Number10
The differences in opinion between the US and Russia have defined the G20 summit in St Petersburg, with the US ambassador accusing Russia of holding the UN Security Council “hostage” and shirking its international responsibilities by vetoing resolutions.
A Russian spokesperson said that the US deciding unilaterally to begin military intervention in Syria without UN backing would be “another nail into the coffin of international law”, with US action in Iraq blamed for the UN’s increasing impotence in international matters.
Teams of both US and UK scientists are reported to have found traces of the chemical agent sarin on samples of clothing from the 21st August attack in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus, and have blamed the Assad regime for the attack. Russia does not deny that many people died from exposure to chemical weapons in Ghouta, but say that the evidence that it was an attack by Assad’s forces is inconclusive. Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blames “terrorist” rebel groups for the attack, maintaining his stance that the opposition fighters are foreign terrorists trying to bring down his regime.
The US and France have committed to using force in Syria, although any action would be determined after a vote on the issue in teh US congress next week. The UK parliament voted against British military involvement in any intervention in the country, although a number of ministers believe that there should be a second vote if further evidence emerges for Assad’s use of chemical weapons.
Instead of committing to military intervention, Britain will send further humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict, with the UN recently stating that they will need a further $3.3 billion (£2 billion) to deal with the huge refugee crisis for the next three months. There are currently 2 million refugees from the Syrian conflict in neighbouring countries, mostly in refugee camps, with a further 5 million people displaced within Syria.
It is reported that the leaders of France, Turkey, Canada, and the UK were supportive of US plans for intervention, but the majority of other G20 leaders were hesitant of supporting military action without a Security Council resolution.
The shadow of the Iraq war looms large over the possibility of intervention in Syria, with the information being pushed by the US and UK about “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMDs) now proven to be false, and the human cost and continued destabilisation to Iraq and the region giving many reason to pause. The bloody aftermath of that conflict is the reason that the UK voted against Syrian intervention according to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, but the severe lack of trust in the information flowing from the security services and from politicians is likely a greater factor at this point, trust Blair was instrumental in dismantling.
