Security Council member states have failed to agree on a plan to probe a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. The US has threatened a "forceful" response after dozens of civilians were killed in rebel-held Douma.
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The UN Security Council on Tuesday knocked back two rival resolutions from the US and Russia proposing separate investigations into Saturday's alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria.
The impasse is the latest in a series of clashes between the US and Russia and follows a decision by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) to examine the site of the attack at the request of the Syrian government.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia put forward a proposal calling for a "transparent and honest" investigation by OPCW investigators. This was knocked back as it failed to garner enough votes for adoption.
Moscow also asked the Council to vote on a second draft text that would also set up an inquiry. The US and its allies already rejected that text when it was first presented in January.
The US resolution, which was vetoed by Russia on Tuesday, proposed establishing a new panel that would also work with OPCW investigators to investigate the attack and determine who was responsible for it. The failed resolution also condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria "in the strongest terms."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to be skeptical of the Russian proposal, saying: "The evidence that chemical weapons were used there is very, very clear. As far as I am concerned, that can be checked over again, but it doesn't help us as we condemn the case."
Western leaders agreed to target those responsible for the chemical attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying the decision "will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities."
Syria's Foreign Ministry said it had extended an invitation to the OPCW to investigate the scene of the attack, which the organization later said it had accepted. "Syria is keen on cooperating with the OPCW to uncover the truth behind the allegations that some western sides have been advertising to justify their aggressive intentions," the ministry added.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
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War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
The chemical attack: On Sunday, the Syrian White Helmets rescue group wrote on Twitter that a helicopter had dropped a barrel bomb filled with chemicals on the rebel-held city of Douma late on Saturday, killing at least 40 people and injuring hundreds of others.
Trump's promise: US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to "forcefully" respond to the alleged attack, telling reporters: "We have a lot of options militarily and we'll be letting you know pretty soon … probably after the fact." The White House said Trump has decided to cancel his first official trip to Latin America to focus on the US response.
Russian warning: Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia urged the US to "refrain from the plans that you're currently developing," warning that Washington will "bear responsibility" for any "illegal military adventure."
Not the first time: Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons against civilians and combatants. Trump ordered airstrikes against a Syrian government airbase in April 2017 in retaliation to a previous chemical weapons attack. In November, Russia vetoed a joint UN-OPCW investigation into that attack after investigators said the Syrian government was responsible.
