Putin Calls Obama's Syria Military Push 'Nonsense'

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

• As President Barack Obama seems Congressional approval for a military strike on Syria, his counterpart in the Kremlin said Saturday that Washington's chemical weapons call is "unimaginable nonsense."
• Washington says Syria's government used chemical weapons against its own people. Moscow says it did not.
• Once again, the two old enemies are sparring over Middle East unrest, with Putin dead-set against military action on their former ally.
• Ria Novosti newswire reported today had Putin defending Syria's government, saying he believed they did not use chemical weapons against. The United Nations has not been able to confirm the validity of Washington's charge at this time.
• For his part, Putin did not deny the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but said he doubts it was used by the government. Putin has basically come out and said that chemical weapons were being used to scapegoat the government of Bashar Assad.
• "I am sure this was no more than a provocation by those looking to drag other countries (into the conflict) and obtain support of powerful international player, particularly the United States," Putin said about the chemical attack that reportedly killed hundreds last week. "Claims that the proof exists, but is classified and cannot be presented to anybody are below criticism," Putin said.

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Putin Calls Obama's Syria Military Push 'Nonsense'

UN's Syria Samples to Undergo Meticulous Scrutiny

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

• They've endured repeated delays, unrelenting scrutiny and even snipers' bullets in Damascus. Now U.N. inspectors, who have been gathering evidence of a possible chemical weapons attack in Syria, are poised to return to the Netherlands in coming days, setting in motion a meticulous process of analyzing samples at specially accredited laboratories.
• According to the team's U.N. mandate, the analysis will establish if a chemical attack took place, but not who was responsible for a deadly Aug. 21 attack that Doctors Without Borders says killed 355 people and included the use of toxic gas. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that Washington knows, based on intelligence, that the Syrian regime carefully prepared for days to launch a chemical weapons attack.
• U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to get an initial briefing on the U.N. team's work this weekend from disarmament chief Angela Kane. The team is expected to leave Syria on Saturday, but it remains unclear exactly how long the process of examining samples will take.

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UN's Syria Samples to Undergo Meticulous Scrutiny

Iraq Opposes Use of Its Airspace or Territory in Any Attack on Syria

The following excerpts are from AINA:

• Iraq said Monday it opposes the use of its airspace or territory in any attack on Syria, as Western powers warn of possible military action against Damascus.
• "We do not agree to any use of our airspace ... to attack any neighbouring country through our land," Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesman said, asked if Baghdad would authorise the use of its airspace in any action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
• "Our position is fixed on this subject."

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Iraq Opposes Use of Its Airspace or Territory in Any Attack on Syria