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- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be taking up a new issue at its next consultations with Syria
- The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog said he informed Damascus he was postponing the arrival to May 28
UNITED NATIONS: The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog told the UN Security Council that its experts have investigated 77 allegations against Syria, and concluded that in 17 cases chemical weapons were likely or definitely used.
Fernando Arias called it 鈥渁 disturbing reality鈥� that eight years after Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the production or use of such weapons, many questions remain about its initial declaration of its weapons, stockpiles and precursors and its ongoing program.
He said Thursday that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be taking up a new issue at its next consultations with Syria 鈥� 鈥渢he presence of a new chemical weapons agent found in samples collected in large storage containers in September 2020.鈥�
Arias said he sent a letter informing the Syrian government that he intended to send an OPCW team to look into this issue from May 18 to June 1, and requested visas but never got a response. He said he informed Damascus he was postponing the arrival to May 28.
With no reply from Syria by May 26, he said, 鈥淚 decided to postpone the mission until further notice.鈥�
Syria was pressed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention in September 2013 by its close ally Russia after a deadly chemical weapons attack that the West blamed on Damascus. By August 2014, President Bashar Assad鈥檚 government declared that the destruction of its chemical weapons was completed. But Syria鈥檚 initial declaration to the OPCW has remained in dispute.
In April 2020, OPCW investigators blamed three chemical attacks in 2017 on the Syrian government. The OPCW Executive Council responded by demanding that Syria provide details.
When it didn鈥檛, France submitted a draft measure on behalf of 46 countries in November to suspend Syria鈥檚 鈥渞ights and privileges鈥� in the global watchdog. In an unprecedented vote on April 21, the OPCW suspended Syria鈥檚 rights until all outstanding issues are resolved.
Russia has sharply criticized the OPCW and its investigators, accusing them of factual and technical errors and acting under pressure from Western nations.
Russia鈥檚 UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia kept up the attack on Thursday, accusing the chemical weapons watchdog of using information 鈥渇rom biased sources opposed to the Syrian government,鈥� of collecting evidence remotely and relying on 鈥減seudo witnesses.鈥�
He said the purpose of the council meeting was not to 鈥渋nterrogate鈥� Arias by asking 鈥渦ncomfortable鈥� questions, as some council members said, but 鈥渢o work collectively to improve the deplorable situation that has evolved in the OPCW.鈥�
鈥淲e need to talk frankly with the OPCW leadership in order to preclude further erosion of its authority and prevent recurrence of the miserable situation that happened in April,鈥� when it voted 鈥渢o incapacitate ... a sovereign state that faithfully complies鈥� with the Chemical Weapons Convention, Nebenzia said. 鈥淲e are concerned over increasing politicization of its work, initiated by our Western colleagues.鈥�
The Russian ambassador said he was surprised that Arias expressed surprise that Syria was not cooperating with the OPCW investigation team charged with determining responsibility for chemical attacks.
鈥淚t is not surprising that Syria never recognized the legitimacy of the group, neither did we,鈥� Nebenzia said. 鈥淭he group was established illegitimately. You cannot expect that Syria will be cooperating with it.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward countered that 鈥渢he facts of this case are clear.鈥�
鈥淭here are 20 unresolved issues in Syria鈥檚 initial chemical weapons declaration, which is deeply concerning,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he UN and the OPCW have attributed eight chemical weapons attacks to the Syrian regime. It鈥檚 clear that the regime retains a chemical weapons capability and the willingness to use it.鈥�
Woodward said the Security Council will continue to insist on Syria鈥檚 full cooperation with the OPCW, 鈥渁nd the full and verifiable destruction of Syria鈥檚 chemical program.鈥�
US Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills said 鈥渘o amount of disinformation 鈥� espoused by Syria and its very small number of supporters 鈥� can negate or diminish the credibility of the evidence that has been presented to us by the OPCW.鈥�
鈥淭he Assad regime 鈥� supported by Russia 鈥� continues to ignore calls from the international community to fully disclose and verifiably destroy its chemical weapons program,鈥� Mills said. 鈥淲ithout accountability for the atrocities committed against the Syrian people, lasting peace in Syria will remain out of reach. The United States, once again, calls for justice and accountability as critical components to help move Syria toward a political resolution to the conflict.鈥�