Brussels, 27/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The EU has condemned “in the strongest terms” any attack against the UN investigators after the investigators were fired at by snipers on the site of the 21 August attack. “Any action that would put them in danger, or that would prevent them from carrying out a thorough and credible investigation would be totally unacceptable”, said Sébastien Brabant, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. Reiterating that the primary responsibility for the investigators' safety is the Syrian government, he added that “all parties must ensure that they can carry out their work safely, efficiently and in the best possible conditions”. Brabant stated that the EU has noted that the Syrian authorities did not give more than 90 minutes to the UN inspectors to work on the site of the attack and he underlined that they must be allowed to carry out a thorough investigation.
In Tallin the previous day, Ashton stated that the investigators must be able to examine the evidence “as quickly as possible” and “reach clear conclusions”. Ashton also recalled the need for a political solution. “A lot of countries are considering very carefully the implications of this [chemical] attack (…). However, as I have said before, the most important thing in the end is we have to find a political solution to this and quickly”, she said.
Recalling that it is the role of the United Nations Security Council to look and see how the international community can and should respond, Ashton stated that “that does not exclude the rest of us from considering very carefully what we need to do”. She again said that “we have to find a political process that is going to bring peace and security to Syria and we have talked often about Geneva II”. “More than ever we need to find a way to stop this violence for all time”, Ashton added, saying that she had spoken to US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov. A meeting which was due to take place on 28 August between Russian and US representatives was cancelled on 27 August. “We have been informed that the meeting between US and Russian officials was postponed, and we hope it will be possible to hold this meeting in due course”, said Ashton's spokesperson.
The UK is putting plans together for possible military action in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, according to a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who said that no decision has yet been taken on the form that the response could take. Cameron decided to recall the UK parliament on 29 August, which it is currently in recess, in order to vote on the issue. Italy's Minister for Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino has warned that her country “will not take part in any military solution without the mandate of the UN Security Council”. “There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict. The only solution is a negotiated political solution”, she stated. “Even the option of limited intervention risks becoming unlimited”, she went on. The USA was reportedly speaking of a “surgical response”.
The Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday 28 August, NATO on Thursday 29 August, and a meeting of the Friends of Syria is due to take place on 4 September. (CG/transl.fl)