Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 april 2018
Inspectors head to site of suspected gas attack in Syria

By BASSEM MROUE and be based on "lies" and
SARAH EL DEEB would seek to undermine
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — his forces' recent advances
A team of inspectors from near Damascus. Western
the international chemi- threats endanger interna-
cal weapons watchdog tional peace and security,
was on its way to Syria on Assad said, and military ac-
Thursday to begin an inves- tion would only contribute
tigation into a suspected to the "further destabiliza-
chemical weapons attack tion" of the region.
near the capital that has After the back-and-forth
brought the war-torn coun- coming from Washington,
try to the brink of a wider Moscow and European
conflict, amid Western Union capitals, residents in
threats of retaliation and Damascus appeared to
Russian warnings of the po- have brushed off the threat
tential for "a dangerous es- of an imminent attack.
calation." The streets of Damascus
The fact-finding mission were packed Thursday
from the Organization for with people headed to the
the Prohibition of Chemical city's main market, cafes
Weapons was expected and restaurants. At Nabil
to head to Douma, where Nafiseh, one of Damascus's
the suspected attack took most famous sweets shops,
place and where Russia Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, left, and Bolivian Ambassador to the men, women and children
said rebels had now ca- United Nations Sacha Llorenty speak to reporters in after Security Council consultations of the situ- sat outdoors enjoying the
pitulated to government ation in Syria, Thursday, April 12, 2018, at United Nations headquarters. evening breeze and nib-
control. The Syrian govern- Associated Press bling on Arab sweets.
ment said it would facilitate Some residents were de-
the mission's investigation, the north. Russia's military There was no official gov- condemnation and threats fiant. Real estate agent
which was to begin Satur- said Thursday that Douma ernment announcement of military action. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman
day. was now under full control that Douma had been Amid conflicting tweets said he had brought his
Syria and its ally, Russia, of the Syrian government recaptured and no indi- about the timing of any re- wife and three sons from
deny any such attack, after a Russian-mediated cation that Syrian forces taliation, President Donald his hometown of Aleppo,
which activists say killed deal secured the evacu- had yet entered the town, Trump said Thursday that an where there are no signifi-
more than 43 people last ation of the rebels and where Russian military po- attack on Syria could take cant military targets, to Da-
weekend. thousands of civilians after lice were deployed to pre- place "very soon or not so mascus to be together in
Speaking at the United it was recaptured by Syrian serve the peace after an soon at all." On Capitol Hill, case of an attack.
Nations on Thursday, Rus- forces. evacuation fraught with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim "I came here to defy the
sia's U.N. ambassador, Douma and the sprawl- difficulties. A single govern- Mattis said the National dogs who are threaten-
Vassily Nebenzia, said the ing eastern Ghouta region ment flag was raised, a war Security Council would be ing Syria," the 43-year-old
top priority had to be to near the capital, Damas- monitoring group said. meeting later Thursday to said. "We don't care about
avert a wider war, and he cus, had been under rebel Hamza Bayraqdar, spokes- present Trump with various America nor America's
didn't rule out the possibil- control since 2012 and was man for Jaysh al-Islam, the options, adding that he strike and we don't care
ity of a U.S.-Russia conflict. a thorn in the side of Presi- main rebel group that once could not talk about any about America's allies. We
Speaking to reporters af- dent Bashar Assad's gov- controlled Douma, said his military plans because an were not scared in Aleppo
ter a closed emergency ernment, threatening his fighters had all evacuated. attack "is not yet in the off- and we are not scared in
meeting of the U.N. Secu- seat of power with missiles They handed over their ing." Damascus."
rity Council, Nebenzia said and potential advances heavy and medium weap- Meanwhile, the British Rafah al-Okda, a 21-year-
Russia was very concerned for years. The government's ons, as well as maps of land Cabinet on Thursday gave old nursing student at Da-
with "the dangerous esca- capture of Douma, the last mines and the tunnels they Prime Minister Theresa May mascus University, said she
lation" of the situation and town held by the rebels in dug, according to Syrian the green light to work with had not changed her rou-
"aggressive policies" and eastern Ghouta, marked a state media. the U.S. and France "to co- tine following the threats.
preparations that some major victory for Assad. Douma and the rest of ordinate an international "Syria is a strong country,
governments were making Residents in Damascus, eastern Ghouta had been response," though it gave but our allies Russia and
— a clear reference to the who had lived on edge for a significant rebel strong- no indication of the timing Iran make us stronger," she
Trump administration and years because of mortar hold throughout Syria's or scale of any action. said.
its allies. shells lobbed from eastern civil war and its surrender President Emmanuel Ma- Ahmad al-Issa, 46, ruled out
"We hope that there will be Ghouta, celebrated the came after years of siege cron said France had proof a U.S. airstrike, saying Trump
no point of no return — that news. Vehicles carrying Syr- by Assad's troops and a that the Syrian government has in the past threatened
the U.S. and their allies will ian flags were seen driving months-long military of- had launched chlorine to wipe North Korea off
refrain from military action from Damascus into Dou- fensive. It followed weeks gas attacks in recent days, the map, then ended up
against a sovereign state," ma, chanting in support of of negotiations mediated adding that his govern- calling for a meeting with
Nebenzia said, adding that the government. by Russia that repeatedly ment would not tolerate North Korean leader Kim
"the danger of escalation is "This is a victory for Syria and were derailed. A truce col- "regimes that think every- Jong Un.
higher than simply Syria." the allies of Syria," declared lapsed last week and the thing is permitted," though "Even if he (Trump) fires
The imminent arrival of Abboud Mardini, a 38-year Syrian government pressed he stopped short of saying what he calls smart bombs,
the chemical weapons in- old merchant in Damascus. ahead with its military of- whether France was plan- at us they will be stupid
spectors came as rebels in "Eastern Ghouta was the fensive. ning military action. bombs because they will
Douma surrendered their main source of ... terror- Then came the suspected In response to the threats, backfire on him and Syr-
weapons and left the town ists who from there spread chemical attack in Douma, Assad said Thursday that a ians will be stronger," al-Issa
for opposition-held areas in throughout Syria." followed by international potential retaliation would said.q