Syrian opposition rejects Russian proposal

Istanbul, Sept 10: A major Syrian opposition group issued a statement here Tuesday to reject a Russian plan that proposes to put Damascus's chemical weapons under international control to avert a US strike on the country.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition said the proposal, put forward by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, does not address the issue of accountability for crimes against innocents, in reference to Damascus's alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people, Xinhua reported.

"The proposal is a political strategy that aims to gain more time, which will allow the regime to cause more deaths and destruction in Syria, and poses a threat to the countries and peoples of the region," the statement said.

The opposition noted that the violation of international law, alluding to the purported attack outside of Damascus Aug 21, necessitated a serious and proportionate response.

"Under no circumstances should war crimes go unpunished. Crimes against humanity cannot be absolved through political concessions, or surrendering the weapons used to commit them," the statement said.

It said that only a guarantee of serious negotiations can establish the right conditions, which could be best achieved by stopping the government's killings and bringing to justice perpetrators of war crimes against the Syrian people.

IANS