Russia Blasts UN Report On Syrian Chemical Attack

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem (R) meets Russian deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov,in Damascus,in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA on September 17, 2013. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters

Russia Says U.N. Report On Syria Attack Preconceived, Political -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Russia denounced U.N. investigators' findings on a poison gas attack in Syria as preconceived and tainted by politics on Wednesday, stepping up its criticism of a report Western nations said proved President Bashar al-Assad's forces were responsible.

Russia, which has veto power in the Security Council, could cite such doubts about proof of culpability in opposing future efforts by the United States, Britain and France to punish Syria for any violations of a deal to abandon chemical weapons.

"We are disappointed, to put it mildly, about the approach taken by the U.N. secretariat and the U.N. inspectors, who prepared the report selectively and incompletely," deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state-run Russian news agency RIA in Damascus.

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More News On Russia Denouncing A U.N. Investigators' Findings On A Poison Gas Attack In Syria

Syria tells Russia it has proof rebels used chemicals -- BBC
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Russia blasts U.N. report on Syria chemical weapons attack as "politicized, preconceived and one-sided" -- CBS
Russian Envoy Dismisses U.N. Report on Syrian Chemical Weapons as ‘Biased’ -- Time
Russian Diplomat Meets With Syria's Assad -- RIA Novosti
Russia Supports Assad Denial in Chemical-Attack Dispute -- Bloomberg
Russia: Syria Provided Evidence of Rebel Chemical Weapons Use -- Voice of America
Syria gives Russia 'new evidence' on chemical attack -- AFP
U.N. inspectors to return to Syria to probe other chemical arms claims -- UPI
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