Since 1970 Russia supporting Assad's dictatorship (father and son): Russia/Syria relations - since 1971 military, economic and political cooperation and support, Russia became Syria's main arms supplier - Russia plays a strategic role in the Syrian civil war since 2011 - NZZ 19. März 2012: Stark gestiegene Waffenimporte aus Rußland - 10 June 2012: Russia will continue to oppose attempts by the UN Security Council to sanction military intervention in Syria, FM Lavrov says - 11 July 2012: Russia sends a large flotilla of 11 warships to Syria in show of support to Assad - 24 August 2012: Russian regime says Assad regime has guaranteed it will not deploy its arsenal of chemical weapons - 13 février 2013: La Russie continuera de livrer des armes à la Syrie - 17 May 2013: US general Dempsey says the new Russian shipment of modern Yakhont missiles to Assad will prolong the conflict, as rights group finds new evidence of arbitrary detention and torture by Assad's forces



13 April 2013: 13 April 2013: Britain has proof of chemical weapons use in Syria from an area close to Damascus

16 May 2013: 16 May 2013: US President Obama says the US has seen evidence of chemical weapons being used in Syria, after talks with Turkey's PM Erdogan
27 May 2013: 27 May 2013: 'Extremely concerned' over Lebanese terror group’s role in Qusair fighting UN's Ban Ki-moon condemns Hezbollah over Syria involvement
14 June 2013: 14 June 2013: The United States now says the Assad regime has used lethal nerve gas Sarin against opposition forces
22 August 2013: 22 August 2013: UN holds emergency meeting on Syria chemical attack outside Damascus, confirmed by videos, witness accounts and testimonies by emergency medics
25 August 2013: 25 August: Medecins Sans Frontieres says around 3,600 patients displaying 'neurotoxic symptoms' had flooded into three Syrian hospitals on the day of the attacks, and 355 of them died
30 August 2013: 30 August: At least ten teenagers have been killed by an incendiary bomb dropped by a fighter jet on a school playground in northern Syria - 30 August: Secretary of State John Kerry said there is 'clear' and 'compelling' evidence that the Assad regime used poison gas against its citizens, adding that more than 1,400 people were killed, including more than 400 children
4/5 September 2013: 4/5 September: A Hezbollah official has said Bashar al-Assad ordered poison gas attack near Damascus on August 21, according to German spy agency
16 September 2013: UN report on the use of chemical weapons in the Ghouta Area of Damascus on 21 August 2013