DHAKA: Syria’s main opposition group denounced as a ‘political manoeuvre’ a Russian plan to head off threatened punitive US airstrikes on Syria by destroying the regime’s chemical weapons.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov suggested on Monday that Damascus hand its chemical arsenal to international control and have it destroyed.

‘The proposal of Lavrov is a political manoeuvre and is part of useless procrastination that will only result in more deaths and destruction for the Syrian people,’ said a statement from the opposition Syrian National Coalition late Monday, The Straits Times publishes this report on Tuesday.

The Coalition added that ‘the violation of international law requires an appropriate international response’, an indirect call to the administration of Barack Obama not to abandon the possibility of military strikes against Damascus.

BDST: 1610 HRS, SEPT 10, 2013
RoR/RK