Russia Offers To Guard Syria's Chemical Stockpiles While Continuing To Blame Syrian Rebels For Last Months Chemical Attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. © REUTERS/ Sergei Karpukhin

Homemade Sarin Was Used In Attack Near Damascus – Lavrov -- RT

Russia has enough evidence to assert that homemade sarin was used on August 21 in a chemical attack near Damascus, the same type but in higher concentration than in an Aleppo incident earlier this year, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said.

“On the occasion of the incident in the vicinity of Aleppo on March 19, 2013 when the United Nations, under the pressure of some Security Council members, didn’t respond to the request of the Syrian government to send inspectors to investigate, Russia, at the request of the Syrian government, investigated that case, and this report, i.e. the results of this investigation are broadly available to the Security Council and publicly,” Lavrov said.

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More News On Russia Offering To Guard Syria's Chemical Stockpiles And Blaming Syrian Rebels For Last Months Chemical Attack.

An interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov -- Washington Post
Russia Concerned With Syria’s Integrity, FM Lavrov Tells WP -- RIA Novosti
Russia: Syrian rebels implicated in use of deadly 'homemade' gas -- UPI
Lavrov Says Sarin Gas Used In Damascus Was Homemade -- Radio Free Europe
Russia claims it has evidence sarin gas was 'home-made' -- The Telegraph
Russia Says Sarin Gas in Aug. 21 Syria Attack Was 'Homemade' -- RIA Novosti
Russia: Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed inside country -- RT
Russia 'ready to guard' Syria chemical sites -- Al Jazeera
Russia offers to guard Syria arms destruction -- AP
Russia ready to help guard Syria chemical sites, will not import arms -- Reuters
U.S., Russia closer to deal on U.N. Syria resolution -- Washington Post
Russia Expects Syria Resolution in Next 2 Days -- ABC News/AP

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Russian President Putin Says He Can't Guarantee That Syria Will Give Up it's Chemical Weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin. © RIA Novosti. Mikhail Klimentjew

Putin Says He Can't Guarantee Syria Will Turn Over Chemical Weapons -- L.A. Times

VALDAI, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he cannot guarantee Syria will surrender its chemical weapons arsenal and suggested that Israel could help ensure the success of the U.S.-Russian deal by surrendering its alleged nuclear weapons.

“I don’t know whether we will manage to persuade” Syrian President Bashar Assad to go along with the plan, Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club, an annual Russian political forum. “Up to now everything looks as if Syria completely agreed with our plan.… But I can’t say whether we will manage to complete the process by 100%.”

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More News On Russian President Putin Says He Can't Guarantee That Syria Will Give Up it's Chemical Weapons

Syria crisis: Putin 'confident' on chemical weapons plan -- BBC
Putin Confident Syria Chemical Deal Will Be Implemented -- Radio Free Europe
Putin doubts that Syria will hand over weapons -- MSNBC
Putin says Syria chemical arms moves 'inspire confidence' -- FOX News/AFP
Putin: I’m not 100% sure Syria will comply with US-Russia deal -- Times of Israel/AP
Putin Says Not 100% Certain Assad Will Give Up Weapons -- Bloomberg
Putin Says Syria Likely to Comply With Arms Plan -- Wall Street Journal
Russia's Putin sees reason for hope in Syrian chemical arms deal -- Reuters
Putin: Syria's chemical arms are response to Israel's alleged nukes -- Haaretz/Reuters

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Russia Blasts UN Report On Syrian Chemical Attack

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem (R) meets Russian deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov,in Damascus,in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA on September 17, 2013. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters

Russia Says U.N. Report On Syria Attack Preconceived, Political -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Russia denounced U.N. investigators' findings on a poison gas attack in Syria as preconceived and tainted by politics on Wednesday, stepping up its criticism of a report Western nations said proved President Bashar al-Assad's forces were responsible.

Russia, which has veto power in the Security Council, could cite such doubts about proof of culpability in opposing future efforts by the United States, Britain and France to punish Syria for any violations of a deal to abandon chemical weapons.

"We are disappointed, to put it mildly, about the approach taken by the U.N. secretariat and the U.N. inspectors, who prepared the report selectively and incompletely," deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state-run Russian news agency RIA in Damascus.

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More News On Russia Denouncing A U.N. Investigators' Findings On A Poison Gas Attack In Syria

Syria tells Russia it has proof rebels used chemicals -- BBC
Syria conflict: Russia doubts UN gas attack report -- BBC
Russia blasts U.N. report on Syria chemical weapons attack as "politicized, preconceived and one-sided" -- CBS
Russian Envoy Dismisses U.N. Report on Syrian Chemical Weapons as ‘Biased’ -- Time
Russian Diplomat Meets With Syria's Assad -- RIA Novosti
Russia Supports Assad Denial in Chemical-Attack Dispute -- Bloomberg
Russia: Syria Provided Evidence of Rebel Chemical Weapons Use -- Voice of America
Syria gives Russia 'new evidence' on chemical attack -- AFP
U.N. inspectors to return to Syria to probe other chemical arms claims -- UPI
UN teams plans Syria return amid claims rebels used chemical weapons -- Globe and Mail/AP

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Russia: No Proof Assad Was Behind Chemical Attack

Russia Says No Proof Assad Was Behind Chemical Attack -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Russia and France disagreed radically on Tuesday over a report by U.N. investigators into a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people in Syria, highlighting the problems agreeing on action at the United Nations Security Council.

Sitting beside French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at a news conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the report had produced no proof that President Bashar al-Assad's troops carried out the August 21 attack and that Russia still suspected rebels forces were behind it.

Fabius took the opposite view, saying the report left no doubt that Assad's forces were to blame for the attack which Washington says killed more than 1,400 people. The United States has also blamed Syrian government forces.

Lavrov acknowledged that the investigators' report proved that chemical weapons had been used but that "there is no answer to a number of questions we have asked," including whether the weapons were produced in a factory or home-made.

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More News On Reports That Russian Claims That there Is No Proof That Assad Was Behind Chemical Attack

Russia unconvinced that Assad behind Syria chemical weapons attack -- CBS
Russia’s Lavrov continues to insist sarin attack probably carried out by Syria rebels -- Washington Post
France and Russia differ on Syria gas attack -- Al Jazeera
Syria crisis: France and Russia admit attack differences -- BBC

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Syria Accepts Russia's Chemical Weapons Plan As France Tables U.N. Resolution To Make It Happen

Syria Accepts Russian Chemical Weapons Plan -- Al Jazeera

Decision aimed at "removing grounds for US aggression" as support grows for putting arms under international scrutiny.

The Syrian government has accepted a Russian proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control to avoid a possible US military strike, Reuters reported, citing Russia's Interfax news agency.

"We held a very fruitful round of talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday, and he proposed an initiative relating to chemical weapons. And in the evening we agreed to the Russian initiative," Interfax quoted Foreign minister Walid al-Muallem as telling the speaker of Russia's lower house parliament house in Moscow on Tuesday.

He said Syria had agreed because this would "remove the grounds for American aggression," the report said.

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More News On Syria Accepting Russia's Chemical Weapon Plan

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Syria crisis: France to test Russia's chemical weapons plan at the UN - live updates -- The Guardian
France to table U.N. resolution based on Russia's Syria chemical weapons proposal -- CBS/AP
Syria accepts Russian proposal on weapons; France to bring resolution to Security Council -- Washington Post
France to Seek U.N. Backing for Russian Plan on Syrian Chemical Arsenal -- New York Times
Russia, France Push International Control of Syria's Chemical Weapons -- Voice of America
Syria accepts Russia deal on chemical weapons; France to seek UN resolution -- NBC
Syria Vows to Accept Russian Plan as Way to 'Stave Off American Aggression' -- ABC News
Report: Syria accepts chemical weapons proposal -- CNN
Syria: We accept Russia's plan to give up control of chemical weapons -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
Syrian official says Assad accepts proposal to turn over chemical weapons -- FOX News
Syria Accepts Russian Proposal to Surrender Chemical Weapons -- Time
Syria Backs Russian Plan for Weapons -- Wall Street Journal
Syria says it accepts Russian chemical arms proposal -- USA Today
As US, France eye military action, Syria accepts Russian proposal on chemical weapons controls -- Washington Post/AP

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Syria Says It "Welcomes" And Agrees To A Russian Proposal To Place It's Chemical Weapons Under International Control

Syria Says It ‘Welcomes’ Russia Proposal On Chemical Weapons -- Washington Post

MOSCOW — The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday said it welcomed a Russian proposal to avert U.S. military strikes by having Damascus turn over control of its chemical weapons to international monitors.

The statement by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Moscow offered the first indication that a diplomatic solution may be possible to the international standoff that has evolved since apparent chemical weapons attacks on rebel-held suburbs outside Damascus on August 21.

The attacks, which killed more than 1,400 civilians, brought world-wide condemnation, and vows of military action by President Obama, who had previously described the use of such banned weapons as a “red line.” But Russia, which is Syria’s chief patron, blocked efforts to generate a response by the U.N. Security Council, and the United States has struggled to build support for unilateral military strikes.

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More News On Syria Agreeing To A Russian Proposal To Place It's Chemical Weapons Under International Control

Syria 'welcomes' proposal to hand over control of chemical weapons -- CNN
Syria 'Welcomes' Russian Call to Give Up Chemical Weapons -- Wall Street Journal
Syria says it "welcomes" Russian proposal to place chemical weapons under international control -- CBS/AP
Syria 'Welcomed' Russian Proposal to Destroy Its Chemical Weapons -- ABC News
Russia calls on Syria to hand over chemical weapons -- The Guardian
Russia urges Syria to cede control of chemical arms -- Reuters
Russia to Urge Syria to Put Chemical Weapons Under Internat'l Control -- RIA Novosti
Russia urges Syria hand over chemical weapons to intl control to avoid strike -- RIA Novosti

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Russia Sends More Warships To The Coast Of Syria

Russian Warships: Why Are They Sailing Toward Syria? -- Christian Science Monitor

Russian warships – at least three of them – are on their way to the eastern Mediterranean waters off Syria. A Russian official says they are a means for Russian civilians to escape Syria in the event of US airstrikes. But the ships can do oh so much more.

Russian warships are gathering in the waters off Syria. According to AFP, three ships from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet sailed through Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait on Thursday: the SSV-201 intelligence-gathering ship Priazovye, and the landing ships Minsk and Novocherkassk.

More might be on the way. A frigate and another landing ship are ready to head to the eastern Mediterranean from the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol, according to CBS News.

Why is Moscow ordering so much sea power to the region?

The Kremlin’s chief of staff says it’s to evacuate Russians from Syria if a looming US air attack makes that necessary. The presence of the ships is to “primarily” provide a means for Russian civilians to escape, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said Thursday.

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More News On Russia Sending Warships Off The Coast Of Syria

Russia Sends 1 More Warship to Mediterranean Sea Fleet – Official -- RIA Novosti
Russian navy sends four ships to Syria -- Toronto Star/AP
Interfax: Russian landing ship headed for Eastern Mediterranean near Syria -- FOX News/AP
Russian Ships Heading To Mediterranean -- Radio Free Europe
Russia sends warship with 'special cargo' to Syria -- AFP
Russian warships head to Syria, cross Bosphorus Strait -- UPI
Russia sends four warships to Mediterranean, one with ‘special cargo’ -- Washington Times
Russia Boosts Mediterranean Fleet for Potential Evacuation – Kremlin -- RIA Novosti
Russian warships cross Bosphorus, en route to Syria -- AFP

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Russia's Offer For Asylum Was Rejected By Syrian President Assad

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shake hands as they meet in Moscow's Kremlin December 19, 2006. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhi

Russia Offered Asylum To Syria's Assad – Report -- Novinite

Russia has granted asylum to Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, according to a Saudi media outlet, cited by the Bulgarian news agency Focus.

A US intelligence source has revealed that Russia had proposed to Assad to withdraw from power and flee on one of its navy ships in the Mediterranean.

According to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth, Russia has made the proposal after realizing the US are firm on a military intervention in Syria which will lead to toppling Assad anyway.

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My Comment: This news is coming from a Saudi source .... so take it for what it is worth. Russian news media is silent on this offer.

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Here Comes The Russian Spy Ships

Russia’s Priazovye reconnaissance ship. Press TV

Russia Sends Spy Ship As US Prepares For Possible Syria Strike -- The Guardian

Priazovye sails from Black Sea naval base as Vladmir Putin says deployment necessary to protect Russian security interest.

Russia is sending a reconnaissance ship to the eastern Mediterranean as the US prepares for a possible military strike in Syria, it was reported on Monday.

The Priazovye left Russia's naval base in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol late on Sunday on a mission "to gather current information in the area of the escalating conflict", said an unidentified military source quoted by the Interfax news agency. The defence ministry declined to comment.

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More News On Russia Deploying A "Spy Ship" To The Eastern Mediterranean

Russia sending spy ship to Mediterranean - Interfax -- Reuters
Russia sends spy ship to Syria coast: Report -- Business Standard/AFP
Russia dispatches espionage ship to waters off Syria -- KUNA
Russia Sends Spy Ship To Syrian Coast, Unimpressed By Evidence Of Alleged Syrian Chemical Attack; Obama Administration Intensifies Lobbying For Congress Support -- IBTimes

My Comment: I am surprised that the Russians are sending this "spy ship" only now. Considering the seriousness of the situation, one would think that such a vessel would be patrolling there 24/7 months ago.

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Russia Sends Warships To The Mediterranean As Syria Tensions Escalate

Photo by RIA Novosti

Russia Sends Warships To Mediterranean As Syria Tension Rises -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Russia is sending two warships to the east Mediterranean, Interfax news agency said on Thursday, but Moscow denied this meant it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers prepare for military action against Syria.

Interfax quoted a source in the armed forces' general staff as saying Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, was deploying a missile cruiser from the Black Sea Fleet and a large anti-submarine ship from the Northern Fleet in the "coming days".

Any strengthening of the navy's presence could fuel tension, especially as the United States has said it is repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean following an alleged chemical weapons attack which is blames on Syrian government forces.

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More News On Russia Sending Warships To The Mediterranean As Syrian Tensions Escalate

Russian Med Fleet Redeployment ‘Not Linked’ to Syria – Navy -- RIA Novosti
Russian Ship Movements ‘Routine Rotation’ -- Wall Street Journal
Russian Fleet Redeployment In Mediterranean Not Linked To Syria -- RTT
Russia Says Mediterranean Fleet Redeployment 'Not Linked' to Syria -- Novinite
Russia Sends At Least 12 Warships To Syria -- Times of Israel
Report: Russia Sending Warships to Mediterranean -- Defense News/AFP
Russia deploying two warships to Mediterranean -- Gulf News
Russia sending anti-submarine ship, missile carrying cruiser to Mediterranean Sea -- Inside Serbia
Syria crisis: Russia sends warships to Mediterranean -- Zee News
Russia sends more ships to Mediterranean -- The Hindu

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Russia Has Just Delivered Advanced Anti-Ship Missiles To Syria

My Comment: From what I understand .... Syria soldiers are not trained to handle these new weapon systems .... if anything .... they will probably be manned by Russian advisers. One can only imagine the international crisis that we will have if these missiles are then used to sink U.S. warships .... in short .... one can then say that the U.S. and Russia will be at state of war.

Talk about nightmare scenarios.

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Russia Continues To Support The Syrian Regime

Syria Crisis: Gauging Russia's Reactions To Strike Scenario -- Steven Rosenberg, BBC News

There are two subjects Russians talk about a lot: history and geography. In recent days, there's been much public discussion of both.

Russian officials and the media have been constantly recalling "Yugoslavia - 1999", "Iraq - 2003" and "Libya - 2011" as examples of Western military intervention which resulted in regime change.

The suspicion in Moscow is that the West is plotting to add "Syria - 2013" to the list.

One of the headlines this week in the Russian government daily Rossiskaya Gazeta was: "Will Obama risk repeating the Libyan-Iraqi scenario in Syria?"

Moscow appears now to be expecting a US strike on Syria. According to the head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian Parliament, Alexei Pushkov: "It's only a question of time."

But the Russians have not stopped arguing their case that military intervention would be wrong.

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More News On Russia's Role In Syria

Russia rejects US arguments on Syria, Lavrov tells Kerry -- Global Post/AFP
Russia Warns Military Strike Would Destabilize Syria, Region -- Voice of America
Russia Warns of 'Catastrophic Consequences' If US Meddles in Syria -- ABC News
Russia warns strikes on Syria would destabilise region -- Global Post/AFP
Russia warns US of 'catastrophic consequences' of Syria intervention -- Christian Science Monitor
Russia To Withdraw Personnel From Syria Naval Base -- Reuters
Russia evacuates citizens from Syria -- Seattle Times/AP
Can Russia stop the US launching a military strike on Syria? -- ABC News (Australia)
If U.S. Attacks Syria, 'Russia Would Stay on the Sidelines,' Analyst Says -- Larisa Epatko, PBS Newshour

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