UN urges political solution to Syria crisis

The United Nations has called for a political solution to the crisis in Syria, saying military intervention is “not an option.”

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky made the remarks at a press conference held shortly after a meeting between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane in New York on Saturday.

Nesirky said the UN chief has repeatedly stated that “there is no alternative to a political solution to this … overall crisis in Syria. A military solution is not an option.”

The UN spokesman added that UN chemical weapons inspectors are currently in The Hague and samples they found at the site of the alleged chemical attack will be sent to laboratories around Europe to be checked for traces of poison gas.

“I’ve seen all kinds of reporting suggesting that the departure of the chemical weapons team somehow opens a window for military action of some kind,” Nesirky said, adding, “Frankly, that is grotesque, and it’s an affront to the more than 1,000 staff, UN staff, who are on the ground in Syria delivering humanitarian aid and who will continue to deliver critical aid.”

The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.