Saudi urges UN action to end Syria regime 'massacres'

RIYADH - Agence France-Presse

Syrian refugees fleeing the violence in their country, wait to cross the border into the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq August 25, 2013. REUTERS photo

The Saudi government on Monday urged the UN Security Council to take "deterrent" action against the Syrian regime's "massacres" and its alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people.The call comes amid high-level consultations in Western capitals on an international response to last week's suspected chemical weapons attack outside Damascus.The kingdom "urges the international community represented by the UN Security Council to take up its responsibilities towards the tragedies and terrible massacres committed by the (Syrian) regime against its people using... arms that include internationally banned chemical weapons." The cabinet at its weekly meeting warned against the "lack of a clear and firm decision that puts an end to these heinous massacres," in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.Saudi Arabia has openly voiced support for the 29-month-old armed revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.