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UN Chief 'Shocked' at Latest Syria Chemical Weapons Claims

August 21, 2013

by Margaret Besheer

Wednesday's alleged poison gas attack by the Syrian military comes as a team of U.N. scientific experts is in the country to examine allegations of three earlier possible uses of chemical weapons by the government or the rebels.

United Nations spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is “shocked” to hear Wednesday’s reports from Syrian activists that government forces used chemical weapons overnight in the suburbs of Damascus, killing hundreds of people.

“The United Nations mission to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria is following the current situation in Syria carefully, and remains fully engaged in the investigation process that is mandated by the secretary-general," he said. "Professor Sellström is in discussions with the Syrian government on all issues pertaining to the alleged use of chemical weapons, including this most recent reported incident.”

Swedish scientist Ake Sellström is leading a team of about 20 U.N. inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization. After months of delays by the Syrian government they began work in Damascus on Monday.

The team has received government permission to visit three sites, one in Aleppo province at Khan al-Assal where Syria's government accuses rebels of using chemical agents in March, and two other sites that have not been identified, but are likely from a list of alleged chemical attack sites given the U.N. by the United States, France and Britain.

The U.N. mission will try to establish only if chemical weapons were used, not who used them.

Paul Walker, Environmental Security and Sustainability director at Green Cross International, says the inspectors will collect any weapon debris, air and soil samples from the alleged attack sites, and interview survivors and medical personnel as part of their work.

But he notes that the three alleged attacks being investigated purportedly took place months ago, which means physical evidence could have been removed or what still remains may be too degraded to provide any conclusive evidence. He says that is why it is so important that the U.N. ask Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to let the U.N. inspectors immediately visit the site of Wednesday’s alleged attack.

“If you can visit a site very quickly after chemical agents are alleged to be used, you might be able to actually pick up debris and readings from the agents or debris from the weapons, which might indicate which weapons were used, and that in turn of course might indicate who was using them, but maybe not conclusively. It’s going to be a difficult situation for the U.N. team,” said Walker.

The U.N. Security Council will meet Wednesday afternoon in an emergency session to discuss the alleged attack.

Mr. Ban said repeatedly that if chemical weapons have been used in Syria, it would constitute a war crime for which the perpetrators must be held accountable.