UN team believes chemical weapons used in Syrian war
Source: Agencies |
June 5, 2013, Wednesday
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A UN report on Syria said yesterday there are "reasonable grounds" to believe limited quantities of toxic chemicals have been used as weapons in at least four attacks in Syria's civil war, but more evidence is needed to determine the precise chemical agents used or who used them.
The UN Commission of Inquiry said conclusive findings can be reached only after testing samples taken directly from victims or the site of the alleged attacks. It called on Damascus to allow a team of experts into the country, saying lack of access continues to hamper the commission's ability to fulfill its mandate.
The commission's report to the Human Rights Council on violations in Syria's conflict accused both sides of committing war crimes. In an apparent message to European countries considering arming Syrian rebels, the report warned the transfer of arms would heighten the risk of violations, leading to more civilian deaths.
"War crimes and crimes against humanity have become a daily reality in Syria where the harrowing accounts of victims have seared themselves on our conscience," the report said. "There is a human cost to the increased availability of weapons," it added.
The commission said it relied on first-hand accounts to corroborate incidents, and carried out 430 interviews in the region and from Geneva with victims and witnesses.
It also collected photographs, video recordings, satellite imagery and medical records. Reports from governments and non-government sources, academic analyses, and UN reports, including from human rights bodies and humanitarian organizations, also formed part of the investigation.
UN-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a UN team to investigate alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria after the government in Damascus asked him to investigate a purported attack by rebels on March 19 on Khan al-Assal village near the northern city of Aleppo. But the Syrian government insists a probe be limited to that incident.
Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed and injured in the incident, which the rebels blame on government forces. Opposition activists have claimed there have been more than six instances when regime forces used chemical weapons.
Ban is insisting on a broader investigation, which would also include a December incident in Homs. He appointed Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom to lead a UN investigation. Syria has refused to allow his team into the country.
Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Iraq under Saddam Hussein inadvertently paved the way for the 2003 US-led invasion by allowing UN inspectors into the country. He suggested Syria is not about to make the same mistake. "We will not allow teams of inspectors to come to Syria to do whatever they want," he said.
Syria is widely believed to have one of the world's largest arsenals of chemical weapons, including mustard and nerve gas. The Assad regime has denied using such weapons during the civil war.
The confirmed use of chemical weapons could escalate the international response to the conflict, which has killed more than 70,000 people, according to the UN.
The UN Commission of Inquiry said conclusive findings can be reached only after testing samples taken directly from victims or the site of the alleged attacks. It called on Damascus to allow a team of experts into the country, saying lack of access continues to hamper the commission's ability to fulfill its mandate.
The commission's report to the Human Rights Council on violations in Syria's conflict accused both sides of committing war crimes. In an apparent message to European countries considering arming Syrian rebels, the report warned the transfer of arms would heighten the risk of violations, leading to more civilian deaths.
"War crimes and crimes against humanity have become a daily reality in Syria where the harrowing accounts of victims have seared themselves on our conscience," the report said. "There is a human cost to the increased availability of weapons," it added.
The commission said it relied on first-hand accounts to corroborate incidents, and carried out 430 interviews in the region and from Geneva with victims and witnesses.
It also collected photographs, video recordings, satellite imagery and medical records. Reports from governments and non-government sources, academic analyses, and UN reports, including from human rights bodies and humanitarian organizations, also formed part of the investigation.
UN-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a UN team to investigate alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria after the government in Damascus asked him to investigate a purported attack by rebels on March 19 on Khan al-Assal village near the northern city of Aleppo. But the Syrian government insists a probe be limited to that incident.
Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed and injured in the incident, which the rebels blame on government forces. Opposition activists have claimed there have been more than six instances when regime forces used chemical weapons.
Ban is insisting on a broader investigation, which would also include a December incident in Homs. He appointed Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom to lead a UN investigation. Syria has refused to allow his team into the country.
Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Iraq under Saddam Hussein inadvertently paved the way for the 2003 US-led invasion by allowing UN inspectors into the country. He suggested Syria is not about to make the same mistake. "We will not allow teams of inspectors to come to Syria to do whatever they want," he said.
Syria is widely believed to have one of the world's largest arsenals of chemical weapons, including mustard and nerve gas. The Assad regime has denied using such weapons during the civil war.
The confirmed use of chemical weapons could escalate the international response to the conflict, which has killed more than 70,000 people, according to the UN.
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