Assad credits Russia with chemical arms decision

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Damascus’s decision to put its chemical weapons under international control was the result of Russia’s proposal and had nothing to do with the US threat of war.

“Syria is placing its chemical weapons under international control because of Russia. The US threats did not influence the decision,” Interfax news agency quoted Assad on Thursday as telling Rossiya 24 news channel in an interview.

The Syrian president also said that Damascus would provide to the United Nations the documents required for the procedure.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov put forward the proposal during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in Moscow. Lavrov called on Damascus to place its chemical arms under international supervision.

On Tuesday, Muallem announced that Damascus has accepted the Russian initiative, agreeing to join the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Syrian foreign minister also said his country was ready to “declare the location of the chemical weapons, stop production of the chemical weapons, and show these (production) facilities to representatives of Russia and other United Nations member states.”

Following the remarks, US President Barack Obama asked the Congress to delay a scheduled vote on authorizing military action against the Arab country.

The US war rhetoric against Syria gained momentum on August 21, when the militants operating inside the country and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that over a thousand people had been killed in a government chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus.

The Syrian government categorically rejects the claim and says the attack had been carried out by the militants to draw in military intervention.