Doubts surround US warning Syria preparing for chemical
The United States earlier this week issued an unusual warning against Syria by alleging that Damascus was preparing for a new chemical attack. The White House said it has detected activity at Syria’s Shayrat air base that shows the army is preparing to use chemical weapons. Washington warned that the attack will likely result in mass civilian deaths. However, it failed to further elaborate on its claimed intelligence, but nonetheless warned Damascus that it would pay a heavy price in case of any such attack. Suspicions immediately started to emerge that it is in fact the US which is preparing to attack Syria by using a ‘fake excuse’.
Russia unveils plan for North Korea denuclearization
Russia says it has drafted a roadmap on the denuclearization of North Korea and is ready to discuss it with its partners namely Beijing and Pyongyang. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov says Moscow believes North Korea should be provided with adequate security guarantees to abandon its nuclear program. Morgulov told Sputnik news agency that the roadmap includes a phased plan to bring the parties toward dialogue without preconditions. These are the first steps that he said needed to be taken. Mutual restraint, non-provocation, talks based on the principle of non-aggression and no use of threat or force. But has made Russia take the initiative to resolve the crisis in the Korean peninsula?