This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24140475

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Syria tells Russia it has proof rebels used chemicals Syria tells Russia it has proof rebels used chemicals
(about 2 hours later)
Syria has given Russia new "material evidence" that Syrian rebels used chemical weapons in an attack on 21 August, a Russian minister has said. Syria has given Russia "material evidence" that rebels carried out a chemical attack on 21 August, Russia's deputy foreign minister has said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also said a report by UN inspectors on the alleged use of chemical weapons was politicised, biased and one-sided. Sergei Ryabkov, on a visit to Syria, said a UN report on the incident was politicised and one-sided.
He said the inspectors had only investigated the attack in Ghouta on 21 August, not three previous incidents. The UN team found the nerve agent sarin was used in the attack in Damascus.
The UN team found the nerve agent Sarin was used in the Ghouta attack. The US blamed government forces for the attack, which sparked diplomacy that culminated in a deal for Syria to hand over its chemical arsenal by mid-2014.
The report did not apportion blame for the attack but Western nations blame the government forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Damascus has repeatedly accused opposition forces of carrying out the assault in eastern Damascus, in which hundreds were killed.
Damascus - backed by Russia - says opposition forces are to blame. The UN report, by chief investigator Ake Sellstrom, did not apportion blame for the attack.
Meanwhile the chief UN weapons inspector, Ake Sellstrom, has told the BBC it will be difficult to find and destroy all of Syria's chemical weapons, but he believes it is "doable". Mr Sellstrom told the BBC he believed that the task of finding and destroying Syria's chemical stockpile would be "stressful work", but was "doable".
"Of course, it will be stressful work," he added. He said much depended on whether the Syrian government and the opposition were willing to negotiate.
Mr Sellstrom said much depended on whether the Syrian government and the opposition were willing to negotiate. The disarmament deal was brokered by the US and Russia.
'Distorted' report The penalty for any possible breaches by Syria are now being thrashed out by the UN Security Council permanent members.
In an interview with Russian media, Mr Ryabkov said the Assad government had given him new evidence that rebel forces had used chemical weapons. Selective and incomplete
He did not give any details of what those weapons were. In an interview with Russian media, Mr Ryabkov said the government of President Bashar al-Assad had given him new evidence that rebel forces had used chemical weapons.
"Just now we were given evidence. We need to analyse it," he told RT news organisation. "Just now we were given evidence. We need to analyse it," he said, without giving any details.
Mr Ryabkov also criticised the UN report, saying it was "distorted, it was one-sided, the basis of information upon which it is built is not sufficient, and in any case we would need to learn and know more on what happened beyond and above that incident of 21 August". Mr Ryabkov criticised the UN report, saying it was "distorted" and "one-sided".
"We are disappointed, to put it mildly, about the approach taken by the UN secretariat and the UN inspectors, who prepared the report selectively and incompletely," he told the RIA news agency. "The basis of information upon which it is built is not sufficient, and in any case we would need to learn and know more on what happened beyond and above that incident of 21 August," he said.
The UN inspectors were originally mandated to go to Syria to investigate three alleged chemical weapons attacks - at Khan al-Assal, Sheikh Maqsoud and Saraqeb. "We are disappointed, to put it mildly, about the approach taken by the UN secretariat and the UN inspectors, who prepared the report selectively and incompletely."
But after the 21 August attack in Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, their instructions changed - and the report they produced was based purely on that incident.
In response to Mr Ryabkov's comments, Mr Sellstrom told the BBC he thought Russia was not criticising the report itself but the process, which he described a political matter and therefore not his remitIn response to Mr Ryabkov's comments, Mr Sellstrom told the BBC he thought Russia was not criticising the report itself but the process, which he described a political matter and therefore not his remit
"What I think - as I interpret it - is that there are other allegations by the Syrian government which have to be looked into," Mr Sellstrom said."What I think - as I interpret it - is that there are other allegations by the Syrian government which have to be looked into," Mr Sellstrom said.
A further UN report on the original locations of the mandate is due to be released in October. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius defended the UN report, saying he was surprised by the Russian reaction.
The UN experts were not required to apportion blame in their report. But Human Rights Watch says the document reveals details of the attack that strongly suggest government forces were behind the attack. "Nobody can question the objectivity of the people appointed by the UN," he said.
Human Rights Watch used the details about the direction some of the rockets are thought to have come from, and worked out their trajectory. Their results indicated that the rockets were likely to have come from an area near a well-established military base. Human Rights Watch said the UN document revealed details of the attack, including the trajectory of the rockets, that strongly suggest government forces carried it out.
The UN inspectors were originally mandated to go to Syria to investigate three alleged chemical weapons attacks - at Khan al-Assal, Sheikh Maqsoud and Saraqeb.
But they were later ordered to shift their focus to the Damascus incident, which was the most deadly chemical assault.
A further report on evidence from the original three attacks is due to be released in October.
UN dividedUN divided
On Tuesday the five permanent UN Security Council members - France, the UK, the US, Russia and China - met in New York to discuss a resolution on Syria's chemical weapons. On Tuesday the five permanent UN Security Council members met in New York to discuss a draft resolution put forward by the UK, France and the US.
They were discussing a draft resolution put forward by the UK, France and the US. They want a resolution containing the threat of military action against Syria if it fails to comply with the disarmament deal, but Russia opposes this.
Such a document is seen as a key step in a US-Russia brokered plan under which Syria will disclose its arsenal within a week and eliminate it by mid-2014.
However, there have already been key disagreements over the wording.
France, the UK and US want a resolution containing the threat of military action but Russia opposes this.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that any UN resolution on the Syrian chemicals issue should not contain the threat of military action.
A resolution under Chapter VII of the UN charter permits military action if other measures do not succeed. Chapter VI requires a purely negotiated solution.A resolution under Chapter VII of the UN charter permits military action if other measures do not succeed. Chapter VI requires a purely negotiated solution.
The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says Russia has delivered a promise from Syria to give up its chemical weapons, and it seems that at this stage Moscow does not feel like giving the Western allies anything more.The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says Russia has delivered a promise from Syria to give up its chemical weapons, and it seems that at this stage Moscow does not feel like giving the Western allies anything more.
Russia and China have three times blocked Western-backed Security Council resolutions against Mr Assad.Russia and China have three times blocked Western-backed Security Council resolutions against Mr Assad.
More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.
Millions of Syrians have fled the country, mostly to neighbouring nations. Millions more have been internally displaced. Millions of Syrians have fled the country and millions more have been internally displaced.