Following this weekend's explosive escalation in Syria [5], the big unknown was how Russia and China would respond: the two countries have long been known to be opposed to the US-Israel axis' involvement and intervention in Syria, although they have so far kept their involvement to a minimum. Today we get the answer [6]: "Russia said on Monday it was concerned the chances of foreign military intervention in Syria were growing following reports of Israeli air strikes around Damascus which were a source of "particular alarm". "We are seriously concerned by the signs of preparation of global public opinion for possible armed intervention in the long-running internal conflict in Syria," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement. He suggested those concerns stemmed in part from media reports about the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people in two years.
He added [6]:
"The further escalation of armed confrontation sharply increases the risk of creating new areas of tension, in addition to Syria, in Lebanon, and the destabilization of the so far relatively calm atmosphere on the Lebanese-Israeli border."
"The internationalization of the extremely dangerous and destructive internal conflict in Syria must not be permitted," he said, calling for "decisive efforts aimed at shifting the events in Syria into a peaceful channel."
China was likewise concerned [7], and came out "urging restraint", adding that Syria's sovereignty "should be respected" although at no point was Israel called out by name:
"We oppose the use of military force and believe any country's sovereignty should be respected," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing.
"China also calls on all relevant parties to begin from the basis of protecting regional peace and stability, maintain restraint and avoid taking any actions that would escalate tensions and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability," Hua said.
Hua, who did not mention Israel by name, was speaking as Netanyahu began a five-day trip to China.
His trip coincides with a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as China tries to shore up its role in a region where its diplomatic influence is limited.
China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has traditionally had a low profile in Middle Eastern diplomacy, but it is keen to assert a role as an important participant in international politics.
Hua, asked if China would urge Netanyahu to stop air strikes, said the Israeli leader had yet to meet Chinese leaders. Netanyahu is due to meet Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.
Finally, and confirming this whole development is nothing but one big false-flag facade, earlier we got reports that the UN has heard testimony that Syrian rebels may have used sarin gas, Carla Del Ponte, a UN investigator, said in an interview, Swiss television station RSI’s website says. There is “strong and concrete” suspicion, though not yet any “incontestable” proof according to Del Ponte, and the punchline is that according to "testimony so far suggests only rebels used sarin."
From the Independent [8]:
Carla Del Ponte, a member of the UN independent commission of inquiry on Syria, said that testimony gathered from casualties and medical staff indicated that the nerve agent sarin gas was used by rebel fighters.
"Our investigators have been in neighbouring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated," Ms Del Ponte said in an interview with Swiss-Italian television, broadcast on Sunday.
"This was used on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities," she added, speaking in Italian.
Ms Del Ponte added that the inquiry has yet to see any direct evidence suggesting that government forces have used chemical weapons, but said further investigation was required before this possibility could be ruled out.
The new claims come one week after the United States said it had "varying degrees of confidence" that sarin had been used by Syria's government on its people.
More warmongering lies by the US government and its Nobel peace prize-winning leader: how inconceivably unpossible...
Does this mean that last week's US witch Syrian hunts, "red lines", and certain evidence that Syria used chemical weapons was really just referring to the US, and Al-Qaeda, supported Syrian rebels? Or was the emergence of this factoid not part of the great propaganda spin?