Syrian Armenian

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

Հալէպահայ Չորս Առեւանգեալներ Ազատ Արձակուեցան
By ADMINX - Wed Sep 11,


Երէկ Դամասկոսի մէջ «Ազդակ»-ի թղթակիցը յայտնեց, որ ազատ արձակուած են չորս առեւանգուած հայեր: Անոնք են` Կարօ Պապօղլեան, Սագօ Ասատուրեան, Նարեկ Վարժապետեան, Գարեգին Հացագործեան, անոնք ներկայիս Հալէպ կը գտնուին:
«Ազդակ»-ի թղթակիցը նաեւ հաղորդեց, որ ուրբաթ, 30 օգոստոս 2013-ին Սուլէյմանիէ հայաշատ թաղամասին մէջ ինկած հրասանդի հրթիռի պատճառով զոհուեցան երեք հայեր` Ճորճ Քույումճեան, Հրայր Թարախճեան եւ Մհեր Էօրտեքեան: Հրթիռը պատճառեց նաեւ քանի մը հայ վիրաւորներ, որոնք անմիջապէս բուժում ստացան հիւանդանոցներուն մէջ: «Ազդակ»-ի թղթակիցը նշեց, որ շրջանին մէջ գտնուող Ինքնաշարժները եւ խանութները կրեցին նիւթական վնասներ: Հայաշատ թաղամասերը տակաւին կը դիմագրաւեն հրասանդի հրթիռներու հարուածներ:

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

Ադրբեջանն ընդունում է իր ևս մեկ զինյալի մահը Սիրիայում
Սեպտեմբեր 16, 2013 by Անի Մարգարյան

Այսօր՝ սեպտեմբերի 16-ին, ադրբեջանական լրատվամիջոցները լուրեր են տարածել Սիրիայում ադրբեջանցի ևս մեկ զինյալի սպանության մասին։
Ադրբեջանի քաղաքացի, «Աբու Յահյա» մականունով զինյալը կռվում էր Սիրիայի կառավարական զորքերի դեմ։ Համաձայն աղբյուրի՝ նա սպանվել է Համա քաղաքի մարտերի ժամանակ, երբ թվով 66 կառավարական զորքերի վաշտեր գրոհել են քաղաքը:

«Աբու Յահյա»

«Աբու Յահյա»-ն մահացել է արյան կորստից՝ նույն օրը հուղարկավորվելով Արթմա գյուղի «Աբու Մուսլիմ» գերեզմանատանը։

Լուսանկարները ևս հաստատում են տեղեկության իսկությունը։

«Աբու Յահյա»

Ըստ նախնական տեղեկությունների՝ նա անդամակցում էր Սիրիայում կռվող չեչեն զինյալ Աբու Օմարի ջոկատին։

Հիշեցնենք, որ Սիրիայից վերադարձած, փորձագետ Մարատ Մուսինը սեպտեմբերի սկզբին հարցազրույց է տվել «Նեյրոմիր-ՏՎ» հեռուստաընկերությանը՝ զրույցի ընթացքում շոշափելով Սիրիայում կռվող ադրբեջանցի զինյալների հարցը։ Մուսինի վկայությամբ՝ Սիրիայում ԱՊՀ երկրներից եկած զինյալների վերապատրաստման ճամբարները ղեկավարում է Ադրբեջանի ներկայիս նախագահ Իլհամ Ալիևի անձնական թիկնապահը։ Նա ասել է, որ «մեծ թվով ադրբեջանցի զինյալներ են զոհվում մարտերում», ճամբարներում կան նաև ՌԴ-ից ժամանած զինյալներ՝ մոտ 4 հազար հոգի։
Ադրբեջանցի զինյալների վերաբերյալ փաստերը հաստատվում են նաև այլ աղբյուրներով։

Հարկ է նշել նաև, որ ընթացիկ տարվա հունիսի 5-ին Flashpoint Global Partners խորհրդատվական կենտրոնը և Վաշինգտոնի Մերձավորարևելյան քաղաքականության ինստիտուտի փորձագետների համատեղ զեկույցի համաձայն՝ Սիրիայում սպանված 280 վարձկանների շարքում եղել են Ադրբեջանի քաղաքացիներ։

Հուլիսի 22-ին մամուլը տեղեկացրել է, որ Սիրիայում սպանվել է Բաշար Ասադի հակառակորդ գրոհայինների կողմից կռվող ադրբեջանցիներից մեկը՝ Անվար Զեյնալովը՝ Տերտերի շրջանից։ Նրա հարազատները դիմել են պատկան մարմիններին՝ Զեյնալովի դին հայրենիք բերելու համար, սակայն նրանց պատասխանել էին, որ դա անհնար է։

Օգոստոսի 24-ին հայտնի է դարձել, որ Ադրբեջանի Քյոհնե գյուղի բնակիչ Խաչմազ Հաջիև Թալեհ Սահիբշահ օղլուն սպանվել է Սիրիայում՝ Ասադի զորքերի դեմ մարտնչելիս։

Հավելենք, որ դեռևս օգոստոսի 1-ին հրապարակվել է Սիրիայի նախագահ Բաշար Ասադի հակառակորդ ուժերի շարքերում կռվող ադրբեջանցի զինյալների թվաքանակը։

Ադրբեջանական լրատվամիջոցները, հղելով Սիրիայի գրոհայինների կայքերին, հաղորդում են, որ Սիրիայի կառավարական բանակի դեմ կռվող գրոհայինների տարբեր խմբավորումների շարքերում կան 60 ադրբեջանցիներ։ Ընթացող մարտերում մահացել է ավելի քան 30 ադրբեջանցի։

Ընդ որում, ադրբեջանցի գրոհայինները Սիրիա են եկել ոչ միայն Ադրբեջանից, այլև Աֆղանստանից (թալիբների շարքերում են մարտնչել), Ռուսաստանից (Հյուսիսային Կովկասից) և այլ երկրներից։

Ըստ նույն աղբյուրի՝ ադրբեջանցի գրոհայինների մեծ մասը «Ջեյշ ալ-Մուհաջիրին վալ-Անսար» դիվերսիոն խմբավորման անդամներ են։

Հակամարտությունների գծով վերլուծաբան Արիֆ Յունուսը դեռևս հուլիսի 11-ին հայտարարել էր, որ Սիրիայում, Աֆղանստանում ու Պակիստանում կռվում են 300-ից ավելի ադրբեջանցի զինյալներ, որոնցից 100-ը՝ Սիրիայում։ Ադրբեջանի՝ քիչ թե շատ ընդդիմադիր դիրքորոշում ունեցող լրատվամիջոցները հուլիսի կեսերին գրում են. «Սիրիայում, Աֆղանստանում և Պակիստանում ահաբեկչական խմբավորումների շարքերում մարտնչում են 400 ադրբեջանցի գրոհայիններ, որոնցից 3-ը կին են»։

Փաստորեն, ադրբեջանական իշխանամետ կայքերը, հարկադրված լինելով այնուամենայնիվ նյութեր հրապարակել Սիրիայի ադրբեջանցի զինյալների վերաբերյալ, նախապատվություն են տվել հղում տալ համեմատաբար քիչ թվով՝ 60 սպանված գրոհային նշող աղբյուրին։

Հիշեցնենք, որ Սիրիայի ներքին հակամարտության սկզբնական շրջանում Ադրբեջանը կտրականապես հերքում էր, որ վարձու ադրբեջանցի զինվորներ են մարտնչում Ասադի դեմ, սակայն վերջին ամիսների ընթացքում, հաշվի առնելով թերևս ապացույցների և վկայությունների մեծ քանակը, Ադրբեջանը զերծ է մնում առհասարակ վարձու զինվորների թեման բարձրացնելուց։

Խնդիրն այն է, որ ադրբեջանցի զինյալների մասնակցության փաստը հաստատելու դեպքում՝ Ադրբեջանը հարկադրված կլինի ընդունել, որ ադրբեջանցիները, հիմնականում ահաբեկչական խմբավորումների կազմում, վարձու կամ կամավոր մասնակցել են Սիրիայի ներքին հակամարտությանը։ Դա միանշանակ վատ կանդրադառնա թե´ Ադրբեջանի միջազգային վարկանիշի, թե´ Սիրիայի հետ հարաբերությունների վրա։

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

Դամասկոսում ականանետման է ենթարկվել հայկական եկեղեցին (տեսանյութ)
18 Սեպտեմբերի 2013 -

http://haynews.am/hy/1379487614

Երեկ Սիրիայի մայրաքաղաք Դամասկոսը ենթարկվել է ականանետման:
Ականներից մեկն ընկել է քրիստոնեական թաղամասում` Քասաայում:

Այն պայթել է առևտրի կետերի հարևանությամբ Բեբ-էս-Սալյամ փողոցում: Զոհվել է 5 մարդ, 30-ը` վիրավորվել: Երկու ական ընկել է այդ շրջանում գտնվող հայկական եկեղեցու վրա, հաղորդում է Vesti.ru-ն: Տուժողներ չկան, սակայն հասցվել է մեծ նյութական վնաս:

Եկեղեցին գրեթե ամբողջությամբ քանդվել է:

HayNews.am

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

6 AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS LIQUIDATED IN SYRIA IN PAST FEW DAYS

17/09/2013


More than 30 terrorists from foreign countries were liquidated in
Syria during combats against government forces in past few days.

Eliminated terrorists fought with "Al Nusra Front." There were 6
citizens from Azerbaijan, 4 from Turkey, 5 from Jordan, 9 from Saudi
Arabia, as well as citizens of Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports
"APA" Azerbaijani news agency referring to "Mujahideen websites."

It is stated in the material that an Azerbaijani citizen nicknamed
"Abu Yahya" was eliminated during the battles in Syrian city of
Hama on September 13. He led an Azerbaijani-composed unit, which
was included in the "Muhajir and Ansar" group. It is reported that
another 4 Azerbaijanis were liquidated in the same battle.

"APA" notes that according to the information received in the
beginning of August of the current year, more than 60 Azerbaijanis
participated in battles against Syrian government forces as members
of various groups.

"Faktxeber" Azerbaijani portal writes that "Abu Yahya," who was
recently eliminated in Syria, used to live in Sumgait (Azerbaijan).

His name is Nijat, while Yahya is his son's name.

"Abu Yahya al-Azeri" was a representative of a religious group called
"Sumgait Jamaat," writes the portal with a link to "Yeni Musavat"
newspaper. He used to live in Sumgait around 3-4 years ago. Yahya
is the name of his son. Before being liquidated, "Abu-Yahya" led
a group of Azerbaijani terrorists included in the brigade called
"troops of Muhajir and Ansar," the head of which was commander Omar
Shishani. The majority of Azerbaijani terrorists, who fought in Syria,
are members of the given brigade.

The statement notes that the illegal brigade was torn into three
parts because of internal conflicts; one of the groups assembled
around a Chechen commander with a nickname "Saifullah," another one
gathered around an Avar commander with a nickname "Abu Banat." They
say a few days ago "Abu Yahya" was seriously injured and lost both
feet in a battle around Hama. It is reported that Shishani brigade
mainly fought around Aleppo. Another two brigades fought against
Assad in Hama, Homs, and Idlib.

In the last period of time the media reported about a number of deaths
of Azerbaijani terrorists in Syria. In early April, the Turkish sites
have reported that about 30 terrorists from Azerbaijan have already
been killed in Syria. According to the Azerbaijani conflict scientist
Arif Yunus more than 300 Islamists from Azerbaijan are fighting in
Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, according to Arif Yunus and
the "Facthaber" portal, over 100 Azerbaijani terrorists are fighting
in Syria. Azerbaijani terrorists had even placed an online video-record
calling for "jihad."

Recall that the relationship between international terrorist groups and
Azerbaijan originated in the early 1990s. That time, the Azerbaijani
army, having failed in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR), retreated with losses. Trying to save the situation,
the Azerbaijani leadership, headed by Heydar Aliyev attracted to the
war against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh international terrorists
and members of radical groups from Afghanistan (groupings of Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar), Turkey ("Grey Wolves", etc.), Chechnya (groupings Basayev
and Raduyev etc.) and some other regions.

Despite the involvement in of thousands of foreign mercenaries and
terrorists in the Azerbaijani army during the war, the Azerbaijani
aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic failed, and the Baku
authorities were forced to sign an armistice with the NKR and Armenia.

However, international terrorists found ties in Azerbaijan, and used
them in the future. Recruitment was conducted among Azerbaijanis,
who then were sent to Afghanistan and the North Caucasus, where
participated in the battles against the forces of the international
coalition and Russian organizations.

In recent years, the citizens of Azerbaijan are actively involved in
terrorist and extremist activities in Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.

In Azerbaijan the citizens are brought to criminal liability for
participating in "illegal armed groups" in Afghanistan, sentenced to
minor terms of imprisonment.

Source: Panorama.am

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

MEET SYRIA'S CHRISTIANS - AND LEARN WHAT THE WEST GETS WRONG ABOUT THEM

PolicyMic
Sept 17 2013

Brendan Behrmann

For years there has been a discussion at the highest and the lowest
levels of Western society about "saving Middle Eastern Christians."

This discussion has left out the actual Christians of the region,
who are busy charting their own political future. Particularly in
the northern Middle Eastern nations of Syria, Lebanon, and Armenia,
there appears to be an increasing conflict of interest brewing between
Western interests and local Christian communities.

In the ancient Syrian Christian village of Maaloula, Syrian army
soldiers kiss their crucifixes and spout anti-Western rhetoric as
they battle opposition fighters for control. Pro-government Christian
militiamen have been battling the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo for a
full year. In Lebanon, the largest Christian party's alliance with
Hezbollah has been intact since 2006. And Armenia's long relationship
with Iran has been deepening lately.

The clearly paternalistic views of both former French Foreign Minister
Alain Juppe and the infamous Islamophobe Pamela Geller, linked at the
beginning of the article, blind them (and like-minded individuals)
to the course of action taken by Christians in these countries. In an
increasingly polarized region, Middle Eastern Christians are shifting
their view to the east, where fellow regional minorities rule in Iran
and Iraq; and to the north, where a newly assertive and increasingly
Orthodox Russian voice rolls over the Caucasus mountains.

These shifts are largely due to the changing nature of the Syrian
opposition, the growth of Sunni Islamism in the wake of the Arab
Spring, and in the case of Armenia, oil pipelines. Armenia is still
smarting from its exclusion in the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which
deepened "its political and economic isolation." This exclusion
occurred due to the Nagaro-Karabakh conflict with neighboring
Turkish-supported Azerbaijan and a joint Turkish-Azeri blockade
of Armenia.

Pipelines are a backdrop to the Syrian Civil War as well. A gasline
from the South Pars/Northfield on the Iran/Qatar maritime border
will be built. The proposed lines are Iran-Iraq-Syria and Qatar-Saudi
Arabia-Jordan-Syria-Turkey. The Assad government chose the Iran-Iraq
route, perhaps explaining the particularly high levels of support
Turkey and Qatar are giving the Syrian opposition. Yerevan is looking
to prevent further Turkish gains by supporting the Syrian government's
attempt to block the Qatar-Turkey route.

However, one cannot talk in absolutes when discussing entire groups
of people. Of course there are Christians in these countries who take
a different view. George Sabra, from a Christian family, was president
of the opposition Syrian National Committee until recently. The smaller
Phalangist Kataeb and Lebanese Forces parties both hold anti-Hezbollah
and pro-Syrian opposition positions.

These are not signs of a slowly dying, apolitical group with little
power sitting on the sidelines - the caricature often trotted out by
the mainstream media. These are the ways of a community determined
to protect itself, its future, and its interests at any cost. The
idea of a regional Christian decline is true only in proportional
terms. But even proportionally, the Christian communities are still
large - the percentages of Christians in Syria and African-Americans
in the United States are roughly equal. As respected Middle East
historian Juan Cole points out, "they [Mideastern Christians] are
arguably more numerous in absolute terms than ever before." And this
important community is looking to save itself.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/63751/meet-syria-s-christians-and-learn-what-the-west-gets-wrong-about-them

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

ARMENIAN SCHOOLS IN ALEPPO REOPENED AND RECEIVED PUPILS

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/733280/armenian-schools-in-aleppo-reopened-and-received-pupils.html

19:33, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenian schools in Aleppo reopened
after summer holidays on September 17 and received Aleppo-Armenian
pupils. "Armenpress" was informed about it from its source in
Aleppo. "Today is the first day of opening the schools. Children
attend schools. Life goes on in a normal way," he said.

Reverberating to prices of goods Aleppo source mentioned that they
cannot change greatly compared with previous week.

"Sometimes prices for goods are very high but now food and bread

are available. Compared with previous week when it was difficult to
find bread now it can be found but it is expensive. There is not
fuel at all," he informed adding that the blockade of the city is
continued. "The blockade is continued, at the end of last week three
Armenian young men were kidnapped and there is not any information
from them," mentioned he adding that clashes are continued in different
parts of the city.

Military intervention issue in Syria is frozen for some time and was
made a decision about establishing international control over chemical
weapons of the government. Syrian authorities accepted that decision.

AT present Security Council of UN works on resolution about
establishing control over chemical weapons. International community
gave positive estimation to the decision.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

NEW ALEPPO CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LAUNCHED

Country - Wednesday, 18 September 2013, 15:10

On September 17 exploration of the site allotted for the project of
construction of New Aleppo district for Armenian Syrians kicked off.

The contractor is Yerkraban Utik Company headed by Vladimir Ginovyan.

In the first phase engineering geological mapping of the site of New
Aleppo and the adjunct territories, as well as topological and geodesic
extraction works and studies will be carried out. In the second
phase drilling and ground sampling will be carried out. The launch
of preparations for the construction of the district was attended by
representatives of the Center for Coordination of Armenian Syrians,
the Ministry of Diaspora informed.

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/30914

[HermanGerman]

Re: Syrian Armenian

Bashar al-Assad Interview [Fox News, 17 September 2013]
This version has not been broadcasted on TV.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

Grounds to believe Syria chemical attack was smart provocation – Putin
September 19, 2013

http://rt.com/news/putin-syria-rebels-provocation-080/

A handout image released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows smoke above buildings following what Syrian rebels claim to be a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces in eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus on August 21, 2013. (AFP/Shaam News Network)
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Andrew Farmer, Conflict, Egor Piskunov, Military, Putin, Russia, Syria, Violence
Russia has every reason to believe that the use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb in August was an adroit and smart provocation, President Vladimir Putin has said.

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“We have every grounds to believe that it was a provocation. Of course, it was adroit and smart, but, at the same time, primitive in terms of technical performance. They took an old Soviet-made missile, which was taken out of service in the Syrian army long ago. It was most important to have ‘made in the USSR’ written [on the missile],” Putin said at the Valday discussion forum on Thursday.

The Russian president pointed out that the August 21st attack in Damascus was not the first time chemical weapons had been used in Syria.

“But why haven’t other cases been investigated?” he asked.

The chemical weapon attack must be thoroughly investigated and those behind it must be identified, Putin told the Valday Club meeting in Russia’s Novgorod Region.

“No matter how difficult it might be, but if in the end we manage to answer the question… as to who committed that crime – and that was certainly a crime – the next step will follow. Then, together with our colleagues from the United Nations Security Council we will have to define the level of responsibility of those who committed the crime,” Putin said.

He stressed that measures like military strikes cannot solve every international issue, while should also be brought to the UNSC rather than discussed in the US Congress.

“This would be a strike on the world order, not Syria,” the Russian leader said.

‘No 100% guarantees, but Syria makes practical steps’
Putin also said that he cannot be 100 percent certain that the Syrian government will completely fulfill earlier reached agreements on dismantling the republic’s chemical weapons. However, the latest developments have given signs for hope.

“Will it be possible to accomplish it all? I cannot be 100 percent sure about it. But everything we have seen so far gives us confidence that this will be done,” he told journalists and experts.

Earlier this month, Russia and the United States reached a deal on a framework that will see the destruction or removal of Syria’s chemical weapons by mid- 2014. That came after Moscow suggested that Damascus should put its chemical weapons arsenal under international control and the Syrian government accepted the proposal. The republic also agreed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention which bans the production and the use of such arms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (second left) attending the tenth anniversary meeting of Valday International Discussion Club in the Novgorod Region, September 19, 2013. (RIA Novosti/ Michael Klimentyev)Russian President Vladimir Putin (second left) attending the tenth anniversary meeting of Valday International Discussion Club in the Novgorod Region, September 19, 2013. (RIA Novosti/ Michael Klimentyev)

Speaking at the Valday gathering, Putin noted that Syria not only agreed to sign the international convention, but announced it already considers itself a party to the treaty.

“These are practical steps that the Syrian government has already made,” Putin said.

The United Nations confirmed last Saturday that it had received all the necessary documents from Syria for joining the chemical weapons convention and that Syria would become a member from October 14.

Russia’s proposal for Syria was voiced as the Congress was readying itself to vote on President Barack Obama’s plan to launch a limited military strike against Syria in response to the chemical weapons attack in August. The US blamed the country’s government for the incident. The decision was put on hold after a suggestion from Moscow, which was discussed in detail by Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva.

Putin dismissed allegations by some political analysts at the Valday Club that Obama’s acceptance of the Russian proposal on Syria was a face-saving move.

“It was not about saving anyone’s face,” he said. “[Obama’s] decision was based on real analysis of the situation. And I am very glad that our positions on the issue have matched,” Putin added.

Putin also reiterated that Russia is pursuing no special interests in Syria which would prompt Moscow to preserve the Assad regime.

He said that any attempt to interfere in the conflict by supporting one of the sides would bring imbalance. When the crisis began over two years ago, it immediately started getting support from abroad, he said.

“How did terrorist groups like Al-Nusra appear there? Even the State Department admits that Al-Qaeda’s branches are fighting [in Syria],” Putin observed.

The Russian leader is frustrated that Western states have no idea what they would do if, after their interference in the ongoing war, extremists came to power in Syria.

“Would they drive them away with a newspaper?” Putin said.

A handout image released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows bodies of boys and men lined up on the ground in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus, whom the Syrian opposition said on August 21, 2013 were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces. (AFP Photo/Shaam News Network)A handout image released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows bodies of boys and men lined up on the ground in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus, whom the Syrian opposition said on August 21, 2013 were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces. (AFP Photo/Shaam News Network)

No plans to destroy Syrian chem arms on Russian soil
Russia has no current plans to destroy the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile on its own territory under the deal reached between Moscow and Washington in Geneva, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said earlier on Thursday.

“A decision needs to be taken on this,” Shoigu told the Interfax agency when he commented on the matter. “We have factories for the destruction of chemical weapons, but there is a big difference between 'ready' and 'willing' to.”

The announcement was welcomed by ecologists.

“It’s good news. The elimination of Syrian chemical weapons on Russian territory could pose serious risks for the environment and people,” Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of the Ecodefense organization, said.

Ivan Blokov, the head of Greenpeace's Russian branch, added that the dismantling of Syrian chemical arms in Russia would not be reasonable, since the transportation of such arms may be even more dangerous. He suggested that the chemical weapons should be destroyed on Syrian soil.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said earlier he was committed to the chemical weapons agreement and vowed to hand over the country’s chemical arms for destruction. The plan will cost around $1 billion and take about a year to complete, he added.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Syrian Armenian

http://rt.com/news/syria-russia-chemical-attacks-054/

Russia: UN inspectors ignored evidence on Syria chemical attacks
Published time: September 19, 2013

UN inspectors ignored evidence on chemical weapons use in Syria secretly passed to them by Damascus, said Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister in an exclusive interview to RT. That is why the UN report is biased and needs reinvestigation, he said.

“The Syrian authorities have conducted their own sampling and investigation, analysis in terms of possible evidence of the rebels being responsible for the tragic episodes both on August 21, but beyond that also on August 22, 23 and 24,” Sergey Ryabkov told RT's Maria Finoshina, who caught up with him during his visit to Damascus to discuss these allegations.

“This is new material - new material for us. But this is not already completely new material for the UN,” Ryabkov specified, revealing that there were actually several chemical attacks in Syria in August and that the UN inspectors, headed by Swedish scientist Dr. Ake Salstrom, were informed about this, but ignored the information in their report.

“This material was discreetly handed over to Ake Salstrom, the head of the UN mission of experts here [in Syria] which came to investigate the Ghouta incidents. Salstrom was asked to look into it and eventually factor this new evidence into the final report. It never happened in fact,” Ryabkov told RT. “This is one of the reasons why we criticize the speed with which the report was released… and also an incomplete content of this report,” he said.

Moscow wants the UN inspectors to return to Syria and continue investigating in order to determine who was responsible for the chemical attack.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey RyabkovRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov

“We expect the UN Secretariat to both send Salstrom and his people back to Syria to continue investigation of the three remaining incidents, and also to write a full and comprehensive report against the background of all information they have received,” Ryabkov stressed.

He warned against the evidence provided by the Syrian and Russian sides being “simply nullified and disregarded.”

So far, Rybkov said, “one of the few areas” where the UN mission “kept its word” is that it only announced that chemical weapons were used without specifying who deployed them.

Ryabkov called on to the UN inspectors to follow the approach of the Russian expert analysis of the chemical attack that took place in Syria on March 19, which was professional and contained chemical, biological and medical analysis of the incident.

“This is the approach which should be also followed and pursued by Sellstrom's team. We invite them to do so. We think they should go back to Syria, to continue investigation and then have something different from - yes, a biased initial report,” Ryabkov stressed.

The Russian deputy FM maintained that during his two-day visit to Damascus a great job has been done as Syrian authorities are firmly set to fully fulfill all the obligations, and first of all to provide information about the complete list of chemical weapons they possess by the end of this week.

Ryabkov shared that after the meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister his impression is that Damascus is “absolutely” aware of the consequences that could follow in case Syria fails to comply with the agreement to give up its chemical stockpiles.

At the same time he declined to comment on how many chemical weapons exactly will be given up.

“Well, let the experts speak first. It’s, you know, a sensitive thing, and I don’t believe it’s a proper moment to have a discussion on this right now. Let’s put it on rails, let that train depart, let’s have it gain speed, have some tracking, and then we’ll come back to this rather difficult issue,” Ryabkov said.

Because Russia is really concerned that this sensitive process of removing or destroying chemical weapons could be used by forces fighting against the current Syrian government, “We should also be very guarded against any provocations,” Ryabkov warned.

“We are concerned about possible provocations. We have seen it before that the moment something better, positive is out there, is looming, you will always find skurks [sic] who would try immediately to change these dynamics and establish a new reality, so to say, through a provocation,” he acknowledged.

“And it’s just amazing how little of this understanding is among those who now advocate a very different course fighting the government with weapons in their hands. It’s unforgiveable, this is the real crime which they are committing against their own people and their country,” Ryabkov concluded.

Another Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, told TASS on Thursday that Sergey Ryabkov met in Damascus with not only the Syrian authorities, but also with the members of a number of groups of the Syrian opposition, in particular with Qadri Jamil, the leader of Syria’s Popular Front for Change and Liberation and the leadership of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change.

These meetings took place on the territory of the Russian embassy in Damascus.

“We are ready to organize contacts, not only with the opposition, but also between the opposition groups, maybe in Moscow,” said Bogdanov, who is also the Russian presidential envoy to the Middle East.