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New U.S. Envoy to U.N. Strongly Condemns Russia New U.S. Envoy to U.N. Strongly Condemns Russia
(35 minutes later)
Samantha Power, the new United States ambassador to the United Nations, strongly criticized Russia on Thursday in her first extensive public remarks about Syria, accusing the Kremlin of holding the Security Council hostage by blocking even modest efforts to condemn the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict.Samantha Power, the new United States ambassador to the United Nations, strongly criticized Russia on Thursday in her first extensive public remarks about Syria, accusing the Kremlin of holding the Security Council hostage by blocking even modest efforts to condemn the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict.
She said Russia’s actions signaled there was “no viable path forward in the Security Council.” She said Russia’s actions signaled there was no “available path forward at the Security Council.”
Appearing before the United Nations press corps outside the Security Council, Ms. Power said the United States had been briefing other member states on its intelligence assessment about an attack in the Damascus suburbs on Aug. 21. The assessment concluded that banned chemical munitions had been used and that the forces of President Bashar al-Assad were responsible.Appearing before the United Nations press corps outside the Security Council, Ms. Power said the United States had been briefing other member states on its intelligence assessment about an attack in the Damascus suburbs on Aug. 21. The assessment concluded that banned chemical munitions had been used and that the forces of President Bashar al-Assad were responsible.
The Obama administration says that more than 1,400 civilians were killed in the strike, including more than 400 children.The Obama administration says that more than 1,400 civilians were killed in the strike, including more than 400 children.
Mr. Assad and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have ridiculed the American claims, asserting that it would be nonsensical for the Syrian government to use such weapons on its own citizens. The Syrian government has said that opposition forces seeking to topple him were responsible for the attack. Mr. Assad and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have ridiculed the American claims, asserting that it would be nonsensical for the Syrian government to use such weapons on its own citizens, and that an inquiry by United Nations chemical weapons investigators had not yet presented its findings on whether such munitions were even deployed.
Mr. Putin has repeatedly warned that Mr. Obama’s threat to carry out a missile attack on Syria to deter further use of chemical weapons would be a violation of the United Nations Charter, which says only the Security Council can authorize such military action. As a permanent member of the council, Russia has said it would veto such a move. The Syrian government has said that if chemical weapons were used, then opposition forces seeking to topple Mr. Assad must have been responsible.
Ms. Power, a longtime aide to President Obama who began her tenure as the American ambassador last month just as the latest crisis in the Syrian conflict was escalating, said the American intelligence findings “overwhelmingly point to one stark conclusion: The Assad regime perpetrated an attack.” Mr. Putin has repeatedly warned that Mr. Obama’s threat to carry out a missile attack against Mr. Assad’s forces would be a violation of the United Nations Charter, which says only the Security Council can authorize such military action. As a permanent member of the council, Russia has strongly suggested it would veto such a move.
Ms. Power is a longtime aide to President Obama who began her tenure as the American ambassador last month just as the latest crisis in the Syrian conflict was escalating. She made her remarks on Syria as Mr. Obama was meeting with other members of the Group of 20 nations at a summit meeting hosted by Mr. Putin outside St. Petersburg, where the Syria crisis was overshadowing other issues.
She said the American intelligence findings “overwhelmingly point to one stark conclusion: The Assad regime perpetrated an attack.”
She added, “The actions of the Assad regime are morally reprehensible, and they violate clearly established international norms.”She added, “The actions of the Assad regime are morally reprehensible, and they violate clearly established international norms.”
Ms. Power also castigated what she called the failure of the United Nations structure to deal with the Syrian conflict, which is now well into its third year. She said “the system devised in 1945 precisely to deal with events of this nature did not work.” Ms. Power also castigated what she called the failure of the United Nations structure to thwart or prosecute the atrocities committed in the Syrian conflict, which is now well into its third year. She said, “The system devised in 1945 precisely to deal with threats of this nature did not work as it was supposed to.”
Ms. Power had particularly strong criticism for Russia, which she accused of using its veto power on the Security Council to protect “the prerogatives of Russia” despite international outrage over the chemical attack. Ms. Power had particularly strong criticism for Russia, which she accused of using its veto power on the Security Council to protect “the prerogatives of Russia” despite international outrage over what many nations now believe was a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs. She took note that the attack had been committed at the same time the United Nations inspection team was visiting “just across town” to investigate earlier allegations of chemical weapons use.
She said that “Russia continues to hold the Council hostage,” and that “what we have learned is that the Security Council the world needs to deal with this crisis is not the Security Council we have.” She said that “Russia continues to hold the Council hostage,” and that “what we have learned — what the Syrian people have learned — is that the Security Council the world needs to deal with this crisis is not the Security Council we have.”
Asked about Mr. Putin’s comments on what he has called the unconvincing case the United States has made regarding the Assad government’s culpability, Ms. Power was dismissive. “We have seen nothing in Putin’s comments that would suggest there is a path forward in the Security Council,” she said. Asked about Mr. Putin’s comments on what he has called the unconvincing case the United States has made regarding the Assad government’s culpability, Ms. Power was dismissive. “We have seen nothing in President Putin’s comments that suggest there is an available path forward at the Security Council,” she said.
At the summit meeting of the Group of 20 nations, the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, reiterated that only the United Nations Security Council could authorize military action — not the American Congress or any other national legislature — and he maintained that Russia was not obstructing action in the body, despite three Russian vetoes of resolutions dealing with Syria.
“The Russian side is not blocking the deliberations of other countries within the framework of the United Nations Security Council,” he said. “It is trying to encourage its partners, including its partners in Washington, to objectively consider the situation and not to make decisions before the verdict of the U.N. experts who are working in Syria.”

Steven Lee Myers contributed reporting from St. Petersburg, Russia.