{"id":39946,"date":"2018-02-06T06:15:04","date_gmt":"2018-02-06T06:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/06\/us-accuses-russia-of-protecting-syria-over-chemical-attacks\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:02:43","slug":"us-accuses-russia-of-protecting-syria-over-chemical-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/06\/us-accuses-russia-of-protecting-syria-over-chemical-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"US accuses Russia of protecting Syria over chemical attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UNITED NATIONS \u2014 U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Russia on Monday of protecting Syrian President Bashar Assad from responsibility for what she said were multiple chlorine gas attacks<\/a> on civilians in recent weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haley told the U.N. Security Council that Russia has delayed adoption of a council statement condemning the use of chemical weapons<\/a>, including a reported chlorine gas attack Thursday in the opposition-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta that injured over 20 civilians including children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia retorted, \u201cIt\u2019s completely clear to us the goal is to basically accuse the Syrian government of chemical weapons use where no perpetrators have been identified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia proposed a rival press statement eliminating references to Thursday\u2019s attack and to \u201cthe unacceptable level of violence in Syria, particularly in eastern Ghouta.\u201d He proposed adding language about a new investigative body to determine responsibility for chemical attacks that is unacceptable to the U.S. and its allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. and Russia have been lashing out at each other for months<\/a> over the issue of accountability for chemical attacks in Syria, which is a close ally of Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A joint investigation team comprising experts from the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and used the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.<\/p>\n\n\n\t