MOSCOW, December 13 (RIA Novosti) – The international watchdog currently overseeing the destruction of chemical weapons and facilities in Syria said Friday that it had found more evidence of chemical attacks in the country.
Ahmed Uzumcu, head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), expressed deep concern over the fact that an international team of experts responsible for dismantling Syria’s chemical stockpile “found further evidence of chemical weapons’ use in Syria.”
“This further strengthens the need for the immediate removal of all chemicals weapons and related chemicals from Syria. It is imperative that all sides in the conflict cooperate to allow this to happen as soon possible,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the joint UN-OPCW mission released its final report on Syria, in which it said that the use of chemical weapons had been confirmed in five locations.
The report, handed over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by the mission chief Ake Sellstrom on Wednesday, says the use of poisonous chemicals had been confirmed in five of seven possible locations.
The mission said that chemical arms were used in the town of Khan al-Assal on March 19, Saraqueb on April 29, Ghouta on August 21, Jobar on August 24 and Ashrafiah Sahnaya on August 25.
Inspectors have not obtained any evidence to substantiate the claims of reported chemical attacks in Sheik Maqsood on April 13 and Bahhariyeh on August 22.
The mission’s limited mandate, however, rules out any conclusions about who might be responsible for the attacks.
The report was to be discussed by the UN Security Council several days later, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
“The report makes no certain conclusions. The mission’s findings do not clearly indicate that the chemical weapons were used by the government,” he said. “The report’s content does not lead to a conclusion that the Syrian government was solely responsible [for the attacks].”
The disarmament process was launched after an August 21 chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb killed hundreds of civilians. The US and its allies accused the Syrian government of responsibility for that attack, but Damascus blamed rebel groups fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad.
Gatilov said the disarmament effort would require donations of about $140-150 million. He said that Russia was ready to make a financial contribution and to provide transport for the effort, but ruled out the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.
“At this stage, we would confine ourselves to providing logistical support,” he said.
The OPCW finalized in November a roadmap for destroying Syria’s arsenal of more than 1,000 metric tons of weapons-grade chemicals by mid-2014. According to the roadmap, the most dangerous, or “priority,” weapons have to be removed from Syria by December 31 and destroyed by April 2014, while the rest are slated for destruction by mid-2014.
The final detailed plan of eliminating Syria’s chemical stockpile is expected next week. Uzumcu had earlier said the dismantlement would begin in January and take place in international waters.
