Russia Vetoes Probe Into Syrian Gas Attacks At UN Security Council

Russia today (17 November) cast its veto at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to block the extension of a UN-led investigation to determine who is behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

It was the tenth time that Russia has used its veto power to stop council action that targeted its ally Syria.

Eleven of the council's 15 members voted in favour of the United States-drafted resolution to allow the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to continue identifying the perpetrators behind Syria's toxic gas attacks.

Egypt and China abstained, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting against the measure.

Addressing the council, US Ambassador Nikki Haley described the veto as a "deep blow".

Russia and the United States had put forward rival draft resolutions on renewing the mandate of the JIM panel for a year, but Russia withdrew its text at the last minute.

A resolution requires nine votes to be adopted at the council, but five countries – Russia, Britain, China, France and the United States – can block adoption with their veto power.

Russia has sharply criticized the JIM after its latest report blamed the Syrian air force for a sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

The attack on 4 April triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year. PTI