Syria renews condemnation of the use of chemical weapons
Syria reiterated its condemnation of the use of chemical weapons anywhere, anytime and by anyone, regardless of circumstances, noting that Western countries continue to fabricate lies about Syria’s cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to pass resolutions and establish illegal mechanisms in a flagrant politicization of the organization’s work.
During a Security Council session on Wednesday, Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, stressed that Syria has never used any of those prohibited weapons or any toxic chemicals despite the grave challenges faced by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies as a result of the crimes of terrorist organizations and their supporters. In 2013, Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention and cooperated with the United Nations and OPCW to dispose of its stockpiles of these weapons and their production facilities, which was accomplished in record time in mid-2014, as confirmed by the relevant OPCW reports.
Sabbagh pointed out that despite Syria’s cooperation with the organization and its fulfillment of its obligations under the agreement, Western countries fabricated lies, launched disinformation campaigns and exerted pressure to pass decisions and establish illegal mechanisms such as the investigation and identification team in a flagrant politicization of the organization’s technical work and diverting it from its goals. These countries persevere their hostile stances against Syria. These practices turned the reports of the Technical Secretariat and its teams into an essential part of the hostile campaign against Syria, which seriously and negatively affected the work of the organization, the credibility and reliability of its reports, and the professionalism of its staff.
Sabbagh noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates sent a letter on December 10 to the director of OPCW in which it indicated Syria’s position regarding the reports of the technical secretariat and the inaccurate information they contained that, over the years, constituted a pretext for directing false accusations against Syria within the organization’s decision-making bodies. The letter asserted that despite disappointment with the wrong and unbalanced approach of those in charge of the work of OPCW, Syria continued its positive and constructive cooperation with the technical secretariat and its teams.
On the developments of cooperation between Syria and the OPCW since the Security Council session on the 4th of last month to discuss the chemical file in Syria, Sabbagh confirmed that the tripartite agreement has been extended for a period of six months ending on the 30th of next June. Syria submitted its 97th monthly report on December 16. The inspection team toured facilities of the Center for Scientific Studies and Research in Barzeh and Jamarayia between the 10th and the 17th of last December. The fact-finding mission paid a visit during the period between the 28th of November and the 10th of December to complete the investigations of the accidents that occurred in Hama Governorate in 2017. But the question posed here is why is there a delay in conducting investigations related to using chemical weapons by terrorist organizations such as “ISIS” and “Al-Nusra Front”? For the benefit of whom are they covering this despite the confirmation of its occurrence by UN reports?
With regard to the visit of the evaluation team that will hold the 25th round of consultations, Sabbagh indicated that Syria welcomed the reception of the team on the proposed date and requested the replacement of one member of it. It also welcomed the holding of that round at the organization’s headquarters in the Hague, stressing that this team was established to help Syria, and it is not an investigation team in any way. Syria did not obstruct the conduct of any of the past 24 rounds of consultations that were held over eight years.
Sabbagh said that what was stated in the last report to the Director of OPCW to correct what was included in the previous reports regarding granting visas to the evaluation team and clarifying that the issue is related to one person only and not to the team as a whole confirms the accuracy and credibility of the information provided by Syria. The two visits paid by two teams of the Technical Secretariat to Syria in less than a month are conclusive evidence of Syria’s great cooperation.
Sabbagh reiterated Syria’s refusal to question its initial declaration or its cooperation with the OPCW and its technical secretariat, as well as its rejection of false accusations based on false information. He stresses that the technical matters that are discussed between the Syrian National Committee and the Technical Secretariat are related to multiple scientific interpretations and are subject to discussion and research; a process that cannot be resolved quickly and selectively.
Inas Abdulkareem