U.N. Report: Chemical Weapons Use In Syria Confirmed, Details Point To Assad [View all]

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U.N. Report: Chemical Weapons Use In Syria Confirmed, Details Point To Assad

By Hayes Brown

The United Nations released its official report on chemical weapons use last month in Syria, determining that sarin gas was used against the civilian population, but stopping short of directly blaming the Syrian government for the incident.

The U.N. team who collected the samples in the days after the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack that killed — according to U.S. estimates — approximately 1,400 civilians had been present in Syria originally to collect evidence of previous claims of chemical weapons usage. After an acrimonious debate with the Syrian government, the inspectors were finally allowed access to the sites to collect soil samples, biological samples, and interview witnesses.

According to the final report, U.N. weapons inspector Ake Sellstrom and his team determined that “chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic” against civilians “on a relatively large scale.” The report leaves out estimates of those killed, but clearly documented the effect that the attack had on the sleeping Syrian populace. The early morning hours of the attack and the weather itself conspired to make the attack especially deadly, as the dropping temperature allowed for the heavy gases to “stay close to the ground and penetrate into lower levels of buildings and constructions where many people were seeking shelter.”

Most damning towards the Assad regime are the details of how the weapons were utilized. “Impacted and exploded surface-to-surface rockets, capable to carry a chemical payload, were found to carry Sarin,” according to the report. One such rocket showed evidence that “the rocket warhead appeared to function prior to impacting on the roof (of the building where it was found), releasing its contents and depositing the discovered fragments before travelling through the structure to its terminal location.” The Syrian rebels are not currently believed to possess rockets capable of mounting chemical agents onto before firing, adding to the circumstantial evidence that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government is to blame.

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http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/09/16/2626601/syria-chemical-weapons-report/

United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic
http://www.un.org/disarmament/content/slideshow/Secretary_General_Report_of_CW_Investigation.pdf

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday a UN report

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday a UN report that proves poison gas killed hundreds in an attack last month in Syria left "no doubt" President Bashar al-Assad's regime was guilty.

"The content of the report is damning and confirms massive use of sarin gas on August 21," Fabius said on RTL radio.

"When you look precisely at the data, the amount of toxic gas used, the complexity of the blends... It all leaves no doubt on the origin of the attack" and "reinforces the position of those who said the regime was guilty."

The report, announced in New York earlier Monday, said evidence collected by inspectors who went to Syria showed sarin was used in an attack on Ghouta near Damascus on August 21.

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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/un-report-leaves-no-doubt-damascus-behind-gas-161019711.html#co0zbBs

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon statement on UN report of chemical weapons use in Syria
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023677703