叙利亚遭军事打击后：联合国安理会未通过谴责美英法决议草案

联合国安理会14日未能通过由俄罗斯起草的旨在谴责对叙利亚进行军事打击的决议草案。

这份决议草案的内容包括“谴责美国及其盟国违反国际法及《联合国宪章》，对阿拉伯叙利亚共和国进行侵略的行径”，以及要求美国及其盟国“立即停止对阿拉伯叙利亚共和国的侵略，避免今后再次发生违反国际法和《联合国宪章》、使用武力的行为”。

当天在表决时，安理会15个成员中的3个投赞成票，8个反对，4个弃权。该决议草案未获通过。

A Russian-drafted resolution, which would have condemned the military strikes on Syria carried out by the United States, France and Britain, failed to be adopted by the UN Security Council on Saturday.

The draft resolution condemns "the aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic by the US and its allies inviolation of international law and the UN Charter."

It further demands that the United States and its allies immediately end military action against Syria and refrain fromany further use of force in the future.

Three of the 15 members of the Security Council – Russia, Bolivia and China – voted in favor. Four countries – Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Peru – abstained. The remaining eight members of the council voted against it.

For adoption, a resolution requires atleast nine votes in favor on the condition that none of the permanent members – Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States – votes against.

Trump talks with British, French leaders after Syria strikes

美国总统特朗普14日在社交媒体上表示，美军13日晚对叙利亚发动的军事打击执行得非常完美，行动任务已经完成。

The US, France and Britain launched missile attacks in Syria on Friday following reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Douma near the capital city of Damascus on April 7.

The airstrikes were reportedly limited to three military locations, including a research facility in Damascus. US President Donald Trump on Saturday triumphantly declared "Mission Accomplished!"

Trump on Saturday talked with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May via phone over the three nations' collective strikes on Syria Friday.

According to the White House, Trump and Macron affirmed in the call that the joint airstrikes were "successful and necessary" to deter Syria from any further use of chemical weapons.

International investigators from the global chemical weapons watchdog are in Syria and were due to start their inquiry on Saturday into the suspected toxic gas attack. Western countries and their allies blame the Syrian government over the suspected attack, but Damascus and Moscow insist there was no evidence of a chemical weapons attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the air strikes as "an act of aggression."

Syrian kids receive medical treatment aftera suspected gas attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, April 7. 2018. 

'A sad day for the world'

14日联合国安理会紧急会议上，俄罗斯常驻联合国代表涅边贾称，军事行为会导致叙利亚局势升级，危及国际安全，美国及其盟友的行为是在肆意违反国际法。

After the vote, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said: "Today is a sad day for the world, for the United Nations, and for its Charter, which was blatantly violated."

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It was the fourth draft resolution rejected by the Security Council over the alleged gas attack. On Tuesday, the Security Council failed to approve three draft resolutions. Russia vetoed a US text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass.

China calls for a political settlement

中国常驻联合国代表马朝旭大使在发言时表示，中方一贯坚持和平解决争端，反对在国际争端中动辄使用武力或者威胁使用武力。中方呼吁国际社会继续支持外交努力不动摇，坚持政治解决叙利亚问题不动摇。

Ma Zhaoxu, China's ambassador to the UN, reiterated the country's opposition to "unilateral military actions" and called for a political settlement of the Syria issue.

China urges all relevant parties to avoid "any move that may lead to further escalation of the situation" and "solve the issue through dialogue and consultation," he noted.

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Speaking prior to the vote on the draft, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all member states to "show restraint" and "avoid any acts that could escalate matters."

There is no military solution to the crisis, only a political one, he said.

Guterres warned that "Syria today represents the most serious threat to international peace and security."

'The US is locked and loaded'

美国常驻联合国代表妮基·黑莉在发言时坚称，此次行动“挫败”了叙利亚化武计划。

US Ambassador Nikki Haley defended the joint operation, expressing confidence that the air strikes had "crippled" Syria's chemical weapons program.

"With yesterday's military action, our message was crystal clear. The United States of America will not allow the Assad regime to continue to use chemical weapons," she said.

"I spoke to the President this morning and he said if the Syrian regime uses this poison gas again, the United States is locked and loaded," she added. "When our President draws a red line, our President enforces the red line."

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley vetoes a Russian proposed draft resolution condemning US-led airstrikes on Syria during a UN Security Council meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, April14, 2018.

Did the White Helmets 'stage' Douma attack?

Both Russia and Syria have maintained that Saturday’s attack in Douma could have been faked with reports claiming White Helmets, a controversial civil defense voluntary group with close ties to the Syrian opposition groups might have “staged” it to trigger a US military reaction.

“It has become known to all that the chemical weapons pretext is an unsubstantiated flimsy argument to target Syria,” an unnamed Syrian official was quoted as saying by Syria’s state news agency SANA.

A screenshot of the webpage of TheNewArabonline portal reporting Russian claims that the Syrian chemical attack was 'staged' by White Helmets.

Meanwhile a senior Russian military official has alleged that the Douma attack was staged and filmed by member ofthe controversial White Helmets, which has been accused by Moscow and Damascus of supporting “militant” and “extremist” rebel factions in the Syrian civil war. The White Helmets have been repeatedly accused of spreading fake news.

“On April 7, probably the last attempt to stage a chemical weapons attack in Eastern Ghouta was made. The notorious White Helmets, who operate as part of terrorist groups, staged and filmed a chemical weapons attack on civilians in the town of Douma,” Russia’s Tass news agency quoted senior Russian military official Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir as saying on Wednesday.

A screenshot of the webpage of Lebanon's AlManar television reporting Syrian Army's discovery of White Helmets' filming site in Eastern Ghouta.

To bolster his arguments Poznikhir cited Russian chemical weapons experts and military doctors who, he claimed, visited the site within 24 hours of the alleged attack.

“Specialists of NBC (chemical weapon) protection have taken ground samples, collected fragments at the place of the alleged chemical attack and examined them. The examination showed an absence of nerve blocking and chlorine substances," Poznikhir said.

"Military doctors… visited the only hospital in Douma and examined the patients there. They discovered that no victims of warfare poisonous agents who were brought or treated at the hospital. The bodies of those reportedly killed from exposure to chemical warfare agents have not been found, either. The medical personnel and local residents have no information on the places where they could have possibly been buried," he added.

Lebanon’s Al Manar television reported that Syrian Army has discovered the site where the White Helmets is believed to have filmed the alleged propaganda videos in Eastern Ghouta.

Reporting on the same lines, Iran’s Farsnews agency said the site is located in the small town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta. The army personnel reportedly also discovered cameras and film production equipment left at the site, it claimed.