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There can be no 'military solution' to Syria conflict: MEA

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ANI New Delhi
Last Updated : Sep 03 2013 | 5:45 PM IST

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Tuesday said that there cannot be any military solution to the conflict in Syria, and added that India will support the proposed international conference on Syria to bring the opposition and the Syrian government to the negotiating table.

"India has consistently called upon all sides to abjure violence so that conditions can be created for an inclusive political dialogue leading to a comprehensive political solution taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. There can be no military solution to this conflict," he said.

"We continue to support the proposed international conference on Syria, this is the Geneva II process, being the best prospect for a political solution for bringing the Syrian government and opposition to the negotiating table," he added.

U.S President Barack Obama had declared that the United States, which has five cruise-missile equipped destroyers in the region, was in the planning process for a 'limited, narrow' military action against Syria that would not involve boots on the ground or be open-ended.

Meanwhile, a 20-member team of the United Nations, including experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, had been into the rebel-held areas in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus thrice, taking blood and tissue samples from victims.

The UN experts have already been testing for sarin, mustard gas or other toxic agents.

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Final results might not be ready for two weeks, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Security Council members, according to diplomats.

"As regards to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, India has consistently supported the complete destruction and elimination of chemical weapons worldwide. The international norms against the use of chemical weapon anywhere and by anyone should not be breached. However we would await the full result of the UN inspection," Akbaruddin added.

The United States released its own unclassified intelligence report on the attack, which the United States secretary of state John Kerry said killed 1,429 Syrian civilians and was clearly the work of Bashar al-Assad's forces.

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First Published: Sep 03 2013 | 5:39 PM IST

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