Damascus Accuses Rebels of Firing at U.N. Inspectors
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Syrian regime on Monday accused rebels of firing at U.N. inspectors as they were heading to the site of suspected chemical weapons attacks near Damascus to begin their investigations.
"Members of the United Nations team... came under fire from armed terrorist groups as they entered the Moadamiyet al-Sham area" southwest of Damascus, state television reported, quoting a Syrian official on condition of anonymity.
State television said that security forces "had escorted (the inspectors) to the site controlled by these groups".
A spokesman for the U.N. had said earlier that unidentified snipers had targeted the experts, forcing them to change vehicle.
"The first vehicle of the chemical weapons investigation team was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
"As the car was no longer serviceable, the team returned safely back to the government checkpoint," he said.
"The team will return to the area after replacing the vehicle," he added.
The U.N. spokesman gave no other details of whether the inspectors were in Eastern Ghouta when the attack took place, or Moadamiyet al-Sham, as state television reported.
Opposition groups accuse President Bashar Assad's regime of carrying out chemical attacks in these two areas last week and killing hundreds of civilians.
Damascus has denied the allegations, and on Sunday gave U.N. inspectors the green light to visit the areas to investigate.
26 August 2013, 14:45
711
if the rebels had a clear conscience they wouldnt shoot at the inspectors...
26 August 2013, 14:53
96
Wo said it was them? A good sniper can fire and reach his target from a distance of 2 km.... Don't act naive Movaten of Isfahan. And who's 1km away from the zone? Bachar the dictator.
26 August 2013, 15:41
710
2 km would be a hell of a good sniper, and you'd need to have a clear view of the target, in urban areas the sniper would have to be in one the buildings surrounding the street.. it is much more likely that in an area controlled by rebels, the shooter was a rebel.
but in any case, the impacts on the vehicles can easily indicate the position of the shooter. i wonder why the inspectors did not say from which side they were shot...
26 August 2013, 16:09
511
benzona, seriously... the syrian government is being accused of using chemical weopons on its own people (including their own army that were raiding the same area) and then, under pressure and threats of western attacks, they shoot the u.n. inspectors that they were chauffeuring?
please benzona... lets be realistic about whats going on. the fanatical extremists that were getting defeated will go to no ends. how many times have al qaida bombed sunni mosques around the world? if they will bomb their own, and kill and murder their own, they will gas their own. on the road to iraq they are pulling cars over and beheading those that are failing their islamic questons... a salafi version of who wants to be a millionaire, except if you answer wrong, your head is chopped off!
26 August 2013, 16:23
113
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: Russia will not launch a war against any nation in the case of a western military intervention in Syria.
26 August 2013, 16:24
113
Russia has given the West the long awaited green light to act against the Syrian regime :)
26 August 2013, 16:24
103
The assassination attempt on Geagea was taken from a distance of 4,5km !!!
26 August 2013, 16:30
411
benzona... do some research and understand how ridicules you sound. 4.5km sniper attempt at geagea? just when he went to pick up a rose?
The world record proven sniper shot was 2.4km!!! before that it was around 1.5km.
26 August 2013, 16:36
59
seems like the rebels guilt is being established:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/6/syrian-rebels-used-sarin-nerve-gas-not-assads-regi/
26 August 2013, 18:18
311
banikharoof, do you actually have a point, like ever? i only see you barking against people here and there, as if you were some sort of reference. lol.
26 August 2013, 22:11
13
Can you tell your American leaders to bomb the presidential palaces instead if the military sites? It would put an end to the Syrian, and Lebanese misery.
Ma god bless you my friend Tony Farris.
26 August 2013, 15:43
59
"The first vehicle of the chemical weapons investigation team was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
"As the car was no longer serviceable, the team returned safely back to the government checkpoint," he said.
26 August 2013, 15:43
69
"The first vehicle of the chemical weapons investigation team was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
"As the car was no longer serviceable, the team returned safely back to the government checkpoint," he said.
26 August 2013, 18:17
39
oh sorry, i thought being precise and saying the whole truth was a good thing. i forgot the noble barkers that you are like it blurry
please don't mind me, and go back to saying they were not in the rebel area so you can insinuate they were in a government area.
26 August 2013, 18:51
72
insinuate? who is insinuating that "returning to the government checkpoint" meant that they were in rebel areas? zakzak...
26 August 2013, 21:49
15
It's okay for Israel to use White Phosphorus against Palestinians? UN should be an impartial mediator for the world peace.
Regardless, maybe this shows why UN inspectors were warned and denied safety at first. Like Al-Qaida cares to discriminate between anything but themselves? They hate the UN almost as much as they hate the US.
26 August 2013, 16:29
92
this smells of ASSad's delaying tactics---if they didn't use chemical weapons, why didn't they allow the inspectors in there last week instead of waiting for Iran's permission this past weekend?
26 August 2013, 17:25
00
This "The Washington Times" article that's being posted as a link here is dated May 13th 2013, by the way. Just to clarify. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the investigations going on today.
26 August 2013, 17:34
91
i know that you are only 12, but you should know that the washington times would not be considered a good source of news since it is owned by moonies who have their own agenda. it is like getting critical news on the ASSad regime from al manar.
26 August 2013, 18:02
38
oh snap! i should have stuck with the only real beacons of universal truth, like foxnews and bbc.
oh but wait! bbc is in it too!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22424188
26 August 2013, 20:11
71
yeah mowaten and southern--bringing out breaking news--did you guys look at the DATE of the article? you are a little late to the party and it has NOTHING to do with this article. it has been alleged for a while that some of the rebels have been using chemical weapons as well as the regime. move on, nothing to see.
and southern, now you know why I think you are 12. i questioned the source, but didn't realize you gave us article link that was almost 4 months old. didn't the propaganda department have anything a bit more recent?
27 August 2013, 11:54
11
yea samiam you're right 4 months ago was an entirely different epoch. like the dinosaurs, species who lived in that period have nothing in common with our contemporaries.
those rebels/qaeda scum who had and used chemicals are in no way possibly linked to the ones who used them last week. we all know rebels dont have chemicals and would never use them anyway. you definitely got a point here, must be your old age and great experience of life.
27 August 2013, 13:05
10
this was OLD news like your sorry excuses and rationalizations for your M8 allies' behavior, and it still doesn't change the fact that the Washington Times is not a source of credible news.
27 August 2013, 13:08
10
and mowaten, again you and your m8 friends are quick to accuse your enemies without any proof, but quick to tell others to wait for the facts when you allies are concerned. it gets old after a while and really predicable.
are you saying the ASSad regime has NEVER used chemical weapons now? I already said that there were allegations of both sides using chemical weapons yet you think that ASSad and his butcher brother are innocent.
26 August 2013, 18:12
26
Why is it funny? Things are obvious and perspectives are clear.
26 August 2013, 21:18
63
I see the Assad Regime Sympathizers are all home today writing on Naharnet. Interesting? Are you all in hiding from the UN inspectors?
26 August 2013, 21:31
12
"Imagine how many people would have been saved if for example hitler"
Godwin's law.
26 August 2013, 22:12
50
you realize that when the missiles were fired at the iraqi revolutionary guards, they folded. also, don't you think the US may have moved ships to the area on purpose to see how ASSad's troops would react giving them even more valuable info?
You're a hater, but maybe should tone down a bit. Hate doesn't help thought.
26 August 2013, 22:36
35
IVE SEEN ENOUGH!!! Im convinced that idiots like @geha, @benzona and @texastranssexual who are still trying to defend Al-Qeada, are just Pro-Zio's masking as Lebanese.
Why would Assad use chemical weapons on these rats?? The Syrian army has the upper hand, they wouldn't need to resort to use these methods. And not to mention using them 2 days after UN inspectors come to Syria.
I cant believe you M14ers are still even trying to argue your at all.
27 August 2013, 10:40
00
yeah, I was alive, but apparently I was reading the news while you were listening to baghdad bob for the news. three divisions of the national guards took over kuwait and they were retreating at an unheard of pace. have to also remember, that the missiles will target airports, air bases, military installations and other infrastructure.
