Are Syrian rebels ready to kill their own just to get attention and possible military intervention from the US and NATO? Russia says "Yes".
The U.N. Security
Council met on Sunday to discuss the recent massacre in the Syrian town
of Houla, which the US, UK and most NATO allies have blamed on the Syrian government
but Damascus and Moscow suggested was due to a rebel attack.
At least 116 people, including many children, were killed in the Houla attack, the head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria
General Robert Mood told the 15-nation council, according to a diplomat
who was in the closed-door meeting. The diplomat spoke to Reuters on
condition of anonymity.
Russian
Deputy U.N. Ambassador Alexander Pankin told reporters Moscow was
skeptical about suggestions that the government was behind the massacre,
saying it appeared most of the victims were killed with knives or shot
at point-blank range.
British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, however, disagreed.
"It
seems quite clear that the massacre in Houla was caused by heavy
bombardment, by government artillery and tanks," Lyall Grant said ahead
of the meeting.
Diplomats said they hoped to agree on some kind of condemnation of the massacre, though Russia was clearly at odds with the US, UK and France regarding who was to blame.
The
emergency council meeting was called after Russia rejected a French and
British proposal for a statement condemning the massacre, diplomats
said on condition of anonymity.
Moscow,
which says NATO members are supporting rebels in Syria told
other members of the 15-nation council that it wanted briefing from Mood
before agreeing to a statement, envoys said.
Mood spoke to the Security Council via a videolink from Damascus.
