Egyptian ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Abul-Atta, has called the US and Russia to act effectively in line with Security Council resolutions to solve the crisis in Syria. This came at a UNSC urgent session held on Friday to discuss the US tomahawk-missile attack on a Syrian government airbase near Hems. The session was held at the request of Russia and Bolivia. The US strikes came in response to an Assad regime alleged gas attack on Khan Shaykhoun village in the countryside of Idlib on Tuesday. The attack, that allegedly used sarin gas, killed 86 persons, including 30 children. Abul-Atta's call comes in line with a balanced statement released earlier on Friday by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement, posted on the ministry's Facebook page, called for a peaceful solution to the crisis in a way that averts Syria and the Middle East the risks of the escalating crisis. Egyptian stance was echoed by Chinese envoy who said the political solution could be the only way-out from the dilemma. Bolivian ambassador to the UN said the strikes threaten peace process in Syria. US-Russian disagreement US Permanent Representative to the UN, Nicky Haley said her country would not hesitate to repeat strikes against the Assad regime. "The US took a very measured step" but "we are prepared to do more," Haley stated. Halley described Friday's strikes as "justified and appropriate", warning the Russian unlimited support to Assad would help him "go unpunished". "Either Russia knows about Assad's chemical weapons or he is lying to it," she said, noting that the Assad regime used chemical weapons against its people more than once, killing hundreds of thousands and violating the international law. But Russia's ambassador to the United Nations strongly condemned the strikes, stressing the US military presence in Syria was illegitimate. He added that Assad regime represents the main force that faces terrorism. He stressed the US attack had made calls for a political solution in Syria a kind of hypocrisy. Russia under nasty criticism British envoy, Matthew Rycroft accused Russia of backing a war criminal in Syria, in reference to Bashar Assad. He added his country supported the US strikes, because Assad committed a heinous crime, and that Assad is a "terrible dictator who used chemical weapons against his people". Rycroft slammed the Bolivian stance that condemns the US strikes without showing solidarity with the innocent victims of Assad regime. French envoy accused Russia of thwarting the Security Council from moving against the Assad regime, stressing the need to prosecute those responsible for the chemical attack. Guterres calls for restraint UN Secretary General, António Guterres has called upon Syrian conflict parties to avoid increasing the suffering of the Syrian people. "Taking into account the risk of escalation, I call for restraint to avoid any actions that could deepen the suffering of the Syrian people," Guterres said in a statement after US President Donald Trump ordered a missile attack on al-Shyrat military airbase. Arab praise The US strikes on Friday came after the UNSC failed to release a resolution condemning the Tuesday attack by Assad forces against Khan Shykhoun village in Idlib. Analysts said the US had consultations with Russia, the UK, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE before the attack. Following the attack, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE voiced support for the strikes. Saudi official news agency cited a Saudi Foreign Ministry official as saying "Saudi Arabia fully supports US military operations against military targets in Syria, which came in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against innocent civilian". The UAE also voiced full support for the strikes, saying it comes in response to "the heinous crimes committed by this regime for years".
