Geagea Criticizes Security Council's 'Shameful' Stance over Ghouta Massacre

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Thursday the United Nations Security Council's stand following the bloody massacre of the Reef Damascus town of Ghouta.

"What is shameful after Wednesday's massacre is the U.N. Security Council's dealing with it, despite its gravity and horror,” Geagea said in a released statement.

He added: “The Council just condemned the massacre and called for probing it instead of taking a decisive pragmatic position, especially considering that U.N. chemical experts are already present in Damascus.”

"The reaction was not up to the gravity of this painful tragedy and this contradicts with the principles of human solidarity and with the moral duties that the highest international authority should have to protect peace and prevent wars and human catastrophes.”

Meanwhile, the Christian leader praised the “responsible French stance.”

"France's position brought hope amid the darkness that reigned over the Security Council."

Geagea also criticized “the absence of any local stands that level the tragic event.”

Syria's main opposition group accused the government of "massacring" more than 1,300 people in chemical weapons attacks near Damascus on Wednesday, saying many of the victims choked to death.

Videos distributed by activists, the authenticity of which could not immediately be verified, showed medics attending to suffocating children and hospitals being overwhelmed.

More footage showed dozens of people laid out on the ground, among them many children, some of them covered in white sheets.

The claim of chemical weapons use, which could not be independently confirmed, was vehemently denied by the Syrian regime which said it was intended to hinder the work of the U.N. weapons inspectors already in the country.