EU blames Assad for Syria chemical weapons attack, but awaits report
| VILNIUS
罢丑别听European Union听on Saturday laid the blame for an August chemical attack in听Syria听on the government of President听Bashar al-Assad, but stopped short of explicitly supporting a military response by the West.
The carefully worded message from foreign ministers of 28 EU听governments meeting in听Vilnius听补濒濒辞飞别诲听France听to claim victory in its push to get the EU听to agree that Assad was responsible for the attack in which more than 1,400 may have been killed.
But it also made clear that the bloc wanted the United Nations to have a role in agreeing an international response, reflecting the position of countries including听Germany听which oppose taking action before a team of U.N. inspectors can present its findings on the incident.
After the EU听agreement,听Germany听said it would sign a statement supported by 11 nations at the Group of Twenty summit in St. Petersburg,听Russia, on Friday that backed a "strong" response to the alleged use of sarin gas against civilians.
Germany听said it did not sign on Friday because it wanted to see an EU听consensus on the issue first.
EU foreign policy chief听Catherine Ashton听said the ministers meeting in the Lithuanian capital had agreed that information from a wide variety of sources "seems to indicate strong evidence" of the听Syrian government's responsibility.
The government, she said, "is the only one that possesses chemical weapons agents and means of their delivery in sufficient quantity".
The ministers agreed that the world "cannot remain idle" and said a clear and strong response was needed to prevent any future use of chemical weapons in听Syria, she said.
They made no direct mention of any military action, contemplated by the听United States听and听France, however.
Both听Paris听and Washington welcomed the EU听statement.
U.S. Secretary of State听John Kerry, also in听Vilnius, said: "We are very grateful for the statement that came out of the meeting today with respect to听Syria听-- a strong statement about the need for accountability."
Kerry's trip to听Europe, which includes stops in听Paris听and听London, aims to bolster President听Barack Obama's push to persuade the听U.S. Congress听to authorize a limited strike against听Syria听over the Aug. 21 attack.
Bridging EU divisions
Many听EU governments have expressed reservations about using military force to punish Assad, now fighting a 2-1/2-year battle against rebels in which more than 100,000 people have died.
Germany's Foreign Minister听Guido Westerwelle听said Washington should wait until U.N. inspectors have released their findings from a visit to the听Damascus听suburb where the attack took place.
Following pressure from听Germany听and other EU听governments,听France听has changed course this week and said it would also wait for the U.N. findings.
"We have all welcomed that听France听decided to wait," Westerwelle said in听Vilnius.
"We have expressed our clear expectation to our American partners that it is better to follow the French example before any kind of actions that are being discussed in capitals."
Westerwelle and his EU听counterparts urged the U.N. to release a preliminary report on its mission as soon as possible.
A senior U.S. State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "Secretary Kerry made clear that he would report back to the national security team the recommendations of some members of the EU听to wait for the results of the U.N. inspection, but he also made clear that the听United States听has not made the decision to wait."
罢丑别听EU also expressed support for the International Criminal Court to investigate Syrian officials who may have played a role in the attack for possible war crimes.
The Netherlands-based ICC needs authorisation from the U.N. Security Council before it can act.听Russia听and听China听have so far blocked any referrals related to events in听Syria.
"The EU听recalls the individual responsibility of the听perpetrators听... who must be held accountable, and the role of the ICC in investigating and judging such acts," they said.
(Additional reporting Arshad Mohammed and Andrius Sytas in听Vilnius听and Claire Davenport in Brussels; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
