The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned poison gas attacks by the Syrian regime and called for “decisive action” in response.
It called on the UN “Security Council to discharge its duty of preserving international security and stability, taking a unified position against this monstrous crime and its perpetrators.”
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Britain that the council should not consider a draft resolution in response to the chemical arms attack in Syria before UN inspectors report on their findings there.
Lavrov told British Foreign Secretary William Hague, whose country has proposed a resolution that would authorize measures to protect civilians, it is necessary “to wait for the results” from the UN inspectors, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The British government wants a resolution that would allow “all necessary measures to protect civilians” — UN code for military action.
Envoys from Britain, China, France, Russia and the US have held talks on the resolution.
The meeting ended without any sign that the 15-nation council could vote any time soon on a resolution condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Ambassadors from Russia and China, who fiercely oppose any military strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad, left the closed-door negotiations after about 75 minutes.
The US, British and French envoys carried on their talks but left the UN Security Council chamber without making any comment. The three countries are said to be considering a military strike over the chemical weapons use.
The OIC “stressed the need to hold the Syrian government legally and morally accountable for this heinous crime and to bring its perpetrators to justice.”
It said: “This attack is a blatant affront to all religious and moral values and a deliberate disregard of international laws and norms, which requires a decisive action,” it said in a statement.
OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said he “remains convinced of the need to urgently work out a political solution to extricate Syria from this bloody crisis and to restore peace and security in the country.”
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World pressure grows for UN action in Syria



