Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack Carried Out by Rebels, Says UN -Carla del Ponte (VIDEO YT May 2013)

As the Syrian revolt continues to tear the country apart, the international community has been eager to condemn Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, even as it became clear that the rebels do not, in fact, represent a popular uprising against the oppression of the Assad regime. According to UN diplomat Carla del Ponte, however, it appears that the recent chemical weapons attack was carried out by the Syrian rebels and not the regime, as it had been widely assumed. Speaking to a Swiss television channel (May 2013***), del Ponte said that there were “strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof,” that rebels had carried out the attack. She also said UN investigators had seen no evidence of the Syrian army using chemical weapons, but that further investigation was needed.

A spokesman for the rebels denied responsibility for the attack, which allegedly involved the deployment of sarin nerve gas. He pointed out that the Free Syrian Army does not possess the missiles necessary to deliver the chemical agent. Sarin gas, however, can be delivered in a number of ways. Additionally, while the rebels claim that the chemical agent was delivered by missiles, there is no evidence of a missile strike in any of the many videos that have been uploaded to the internet in the wake of the alleged attack.

After swift initial progress in the more than two-year-old conflict, the rebel advance was stalled as Lebanese terror group Hezbollah sent fighters to the regime’s aid. Whilst a number of towns have been taken and then retaken by each side, Assad’s forces have gradually gained the upper hand. With his army making gains and the eyes of the world upon him, it seems unlikely that the Syrian President would risk carrying out a chemical attack – particularly against an urban area. The Syrian government has flatly denied responsibility for this latest alleged chemical weapons attack and although not widely reported in the western media, there is broad suspicion that it was, indeed, carried out by the rebels. Ultimately, it may prove impossible for UN inspectors to determine who was responsible for the incident. Further, their investigation may be curtailed by the seemingly imminent military action – possibly in the form of cruise missile strikes – by the United States and the United Kingdom.

US President Obama has sent out mixed messages, regarding his intentions towards Syria; whilst he has stated that the US would not take military action against Syria without a UN mandate, it appears that preparations for an attack are already well underway, with American and British naval forces massing in the region. There is widespread speculation that strikes could be carried out within a week, despite strong and repeated warnings from both Russia and Iran, as well as the Syrian regime itself.
One of the most ominous repercussions of US intervention against the Syrian government is the possibility that Iran and it’s surrogate in Lebanon, Hezbollah, will launch strikes against Israel, in retaliation. This, in turn, could lead to a regional war, with Russia and the US lined up on opposing sides.

The United States government has been quick to condemn the Syrian government for the latest chemical weapons attack. Now that most of the evidence suggests it may have been carried out by the al-Qaeda-affiliated rebels, President Obama should remember that he, along with his supporters and political allies, devoted much time to condemning his predecessor for leading the US into war based on questionable intelligence.
An Editorial by Graham J Noble
 http://guardianlv.com/2013/08/syrian-chemical-weapons-attack-carried-out-by-rebels-says-un/
27/8/13
--
-
***VIDEO : Carla del Ponte, a leading member of the UN inquiry team in Syria said in May 2013 that they had "strong concrete suspicions" that the Western-backed Syrian rebels, aka 'al-qaeda' had used chemical weapons on civilians in Syria.
Related:

33 comments:

  1. Syrian rebels used Sarin nerve gas, not Assad’s regime: U.N. official...

    Testimony from victims strongly suggests it was the rebels, not the Syrian government, that used Sarin nerve gas during a recent incident in the revolution-wracked nation, a senior U.N. diplomat said Monday.

    Carla del Ponte, a member of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss TV there were “strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof,” that rebels seeking to oust Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad had used the nerve agent.

    But she said her panel had not yet seen any evidence of Syrian government forces using chemical weapons, according to the BBC, but she added that more investigation was needed....http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/6/syrian-rebels-used-sarin-nerve-gas-not-assads-regi/#ixzz2dCChumNm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Карла Дел Понте: Хемиското оружје го употребија бунтовниците!...

    Карла Дел Понте изјави дека има сведоци и се сомнева дека хемиското оружје го активирале бунтовниците а не владата!

    Карла Дел Понте, главната истражителка на ОН за Сирија, изјави дека хемиското оружје го употребиле бунтовниците а не владата. Таа за швајцарската телевизија изјави дека постојат сведоци и дека хемиското оружје го активирале бунтовниците, а нема докази за сомнежот дека е користен нервен гас. Дел Понте вели дека е неопходно истрагата да продолжи.

    Од разговорите со жртвите на нападот и лекарите Дел Понте заклучува дека најверојатно е употребен сарин.

    Ситуацијата во Сирија секојдневно се заострува. Бунтовниците и силите на Асад меѓусебно се обвинуваат дека стојат зад нападот со хемиско оружје во кој загинаа стотици.
    http://kanal5.com.fyr/vesti_detail.asp?ID=15628
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  3. White House rules out ‘regime change’ among options for Syria...

    The White House ruled out any military effort to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power today as President Barack Obama ponders options in response to last week’s chemical weapons attack in Syria, Reuters reported.

    “The options that we are considering are not about regime change,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. “They are about responding to a clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.”

    Obama is considering cruise missile strikes against Syrian targets in response to the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack that U.S. officials are increasingly confident was launched by the Syrian government....http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/white-house-rules-out-regime-change-among-options-for-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53364&NewsCatID=359
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  4. Experten: Kein US-Schlag gegen Syrien vor G20-Gipfel...

    Die USA werden kaum vor dem G20-Gipfel Anfang September in Sankt Petersburg einen Militärschlag gegen Syrien führen, obwohl von Barack Obama ausdrücklich gefordert wird, im Syrien-Konflikt Gewalt anzuwenden. Darin waren sich Experten am Dienstag in einer Pressekonferenz bei RIA Novosti einig.

    „Obama steht massiv unter Druck. Er könnte dem Druck standhalten, würde dieser nur vom US-Kongresses, den Massenmedien und verschiedenen Lobbystrukturen ausgeübt. Bedauerlicherweise steht Obama auch unter dem Druck seiner nächsten Umgebung. Unter diesen Bedingungen würde es ihm sehr schwer fallen, einer Entscheidung über einen beschränkten Schlag (gegen Syrien) auszuweichen“, sagte der Direktor des Zentrums für gesellschafts-politische Studien, Wladimir Jewsejew.

    Der Experte bewertet die Tatsache, dass sich Obama zu einem Treffen mit dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin während des G20-Gipfels in Sankt Petersburg bereit erklärt hat, positiv.

    Sollten die USA eine Bodenoperation in Syrien starten, würde sich der Iran nicht auf Wirtschaftshilfe für Damaskus beschränken, sondern eingreifen, so Jewsejew. Der Experte merkte zugleich an, dass „der Iran einen direkten Zusammenstoß mit den USA auf syrischem Territorium vermeiden würde“.

    „Die USA schaffen ein zusätzliches Problem. Sie bewirken, dass der Iran in die Syrien-Krise aktiv hineingezogen wird.“ Aus dieser Sicht sei dieser Konflikt nicht mehr als Feindschaft zwischen den Koalitionen in Syrien zu betrachten, so Jewsejew.

    Der Westen, der das Assad-Regime für einen angeblichen Giftgasangriff bei Damaskus verantwortlich gemacht hat, schließt eine militärische Invasion in Syrien nicht aus.
    http://de.rian.ru/politics/20130827/266750352.html
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pentagon Sees Syrian Military, Not Chemical Sites, as Target...

    WASHINGTON — President Obama is considering a range of limited military actions against Syria that are designed to “deter and degrade” the ability of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to launch chemical weapons, Pentagon officials said Tuesday....http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/world/middleeast/obama-syria-strike.html?_r=0
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  6. Vor dem Luftschlag kommt der Kampf um die Wahrheit...

    Während westliche Streitkräfte Bombardements in Syrien vorbereiten, tobt der Streit um die Deutung des Chemiewaffeneinsatzes. Aber was können Luftangriffe ausrichten?

    Die Vereinigten Staaten bereiten einen auf wenige Tage begrenzten Militärschlag gegen das syrische Regime vor. Laut US-Medien könnte der Angriff schon am Donnerstag erfolgen. Noch hat Präsident Barack Obama die endgültige Entscheidung nicht getroffen, war am Dienstagnachmittag zu hören; in der amerikanischen Hauptstadt heißt es aber, nur ein dramatisches Einlenken des syrischen Präsidenten Baschar al-Assad oder Russlands könne den Angriff noch verhindern. Der Sprecher des Weißen Hauses, Jay Carney, sagte am Abend:"Das syrische Regime ist für den Einsatz von Chemiewaffen am 21. August in der Nähe von Damaskus verantwortlich."

    Der Einsatz von Marschflugkörpern, die von US-Kriegsschiffen im Mittelmeer abzufeuern wären, und möglicherweise von Langstreckenbombern, soll ausdrücklich eine Strafaktion für den Giftgasangriff und die Verletzung "internationaler Normen" sein. Das Weiße Haus legt Wert darauf, dass ein Eingreifen der USA keine Parteinahme im syrischen Bürgerkrieg bedeute. Ob diese Unterscheidung nach den Maßstäben des Internationalen Recht Bestand hätte, ist unklar.....http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article119449198/Vor-dem-Luftschlag-kommt-der-Kampf-um-die-Wahrheit.html
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chemiewaffenarsenal ist nicht von oben zerstörbar...

    Die Anzeichen für einen nahenden Militärschlag in Syrien mehren sich. Ein Gespräch mit dem britischen Militärexperten und Regierungsberater Malcolm Chalmers über Chancen und Risiken der Luftschläge.

    Die britische Regierung setzt sich bereits lange mit noch größerem Nachdruck für die Unterstützung der syrischen Rebellen ein und hat schon vor Monaten von klaren Hinweisen auf einen Chemiewaffeneinsatz durch Assads Truppen gesprochen. Auch bei den Luftschlägen, die nun vorbereitet werden, dürften britische Einheiten eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Malcolm Chalmers berät die britische Regierung und den Verteidigungsausschuss des Unterhauses in strategischen Fragen. Er ist Forschungsdirektor des Königlichen Instituts der Vereinigten Streitkräfte für Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitsstudien, des wichtigsten militärischen Thinktanks in Großbritannien....http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article119448177/Chemiewaffenarsenal-ist-nicht-von-oben-zerstoerbar.html
    27/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  8. Usa: "domani le prove che Assad ha usato armi chimiche contro i civili"...

    Lo riporta il Washington Post citando fonti dell'amministrazione Obama. A compilare il rapporto è la Direzione dell'Intelligence nazionale. Consultazioni in corso con gli alleati per il via all'attacco che potrebbe scattare nelle prossime ore....http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2013/08/28/news/usa_domani_le_prove_che_assad_ha_usato_armi_chimiche_contro_i_civili-65401131/?rss
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Armes chimiques : le renseignement américain a espionné l'armée syrienne....

      Des conversations interceptées entre deux responsables du ministère syrien de la Défense prouvent l'usage d'armes chimiques, mais soulèvent d'autres questions.

      C'est une preuve supplémentaire de l'usage d'armes chimiques en Syrie. Les services de renseignement américains ont intercepté une conversation entre deux membres du ministère syrien de la Défense, juste après le bombardement de la banlieue de Damas qui a tué des centaines de personnes le 21 août, rapporte le site d'information Foreign Policy (en anglais), mardi 27 août.

      "Mercredi dernier, dans les heures qui ont suivi la terrifiante attaque chimique à l'est de Damas, un responsable du ministère syrien de la Défense a eu des conversations téléphoniques paniquées avec le chef de l'unité des armes chimiques, demandant des réponses sur la frappe à l'agent neurotoxique qui a tué plus de 1 000 personnes", écrit Foreign Policy.

      "Ces conversations ont été écoutées par les services de renseignement américains", a affirmé le magazine dans un communiqué. "C'est la principale raison pour laquelle les responsables américains disent maintenant qu'ils sont certains que ces attaques sont l'œuvre du régime de Bachar Al-Assad et pourquoi l'armée américaine s'apprête à attaquer ce régime dans les jours à venir." Pourtant, ces écoutes soulèvent d'autres questions. Un officier syrien a-t-il outrepassé ses prérogatives ? Ou bien le régime a-t-il explicitement commandé des attaques chimiques ? La conversation interceptée ne le dit pas.
      http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/revolte-en-syrie/armes-chimiques-le-renseignement-americain-a-espionne-l-armee-syrienne_398581.html#xtor=RSS-3-[]
      28/9/13

      Delete
    2. New Zealand calls for UN Security Council agreement on chemical weapons use in Syria...

      WELLINGTON, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government on Wednesday urged the United Nations Security Council to agree a course of action in response to the reported use of chemical weapons in the civil war in Syria.

      "The grisly pictures and reports of chemical weapons attacks in recent days have prompted consideration of a range of options in various parts of the world. The New Zealand government remains committed to the Security Council as the appropriate vehicle to address this crisis. It has a clear legal basis for taking action and a clear responsibility to show leadership," Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said.

      "It is clear that international patience with Security Council inaction is wearing thin. We again urge the UNSC to show leadership and to take action against the reported use of chemical weapons," McCully said in a statement.

      "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is remaining engaged in the exchanges that are taking place. We have a very close interest in information verifying the use of chemical weapons in Syria and in evidence proving who was responsible," he said.

      "We have no intention in engaging in speculation or commentary about the way forward. This is a time in which both words and prospective actions should be evaluated with great care."
      http://english.cntv.cn/20130828/102334.shtml
      28/8/13

      Delete
    3. Biden: No doubt Syria regime used nerve agent...US Vice President says Assad's government is responsible for "heinous use of chemical weapons" in Damascus attack....

      US Vice President Joe Biden said there is no doubt that Syria's government was responsible for a recent chemical attack in Damascus, as Western allies ramp up rhetoric in preparation for possible military strikes against Syria.

      Biden's comments on Tuesday made him the highest-ranking US official to say the Syrian government was behind the alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21, that aid agencies said killed at least 355 people and injured more than 3,000.

      The Syrian government denies it carried out the attack.

      "[...] There is no doubt that an essential, international norm has been violated. Chemical weapons have been used. Everyone acknowledges their use. No one doubts that innocent men, women and children have been the victims of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
      "And there's no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime," Biden said at an American Legion's national convention.

      Biden said the Syrian government was the only actor in the two-year civil war that possessed and could deliver chemical weapons, adding that President Bashar al-Assad has blocked UN investigators from the site and has been bombing it for days.

      "The president believes and I believe that those who use chemical weapons against defenceless men, women, and children should and must be held accountable," Biden said.....http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/08/201382825511534906.html
      28/8/13

      Delete
    4. Κάλυψη από τον Αραβικό Σύνδεσμο...Για επιπτώσεις σε ολόκληρη τη Μέση Ανατολή προειδοποιεί το Ιράν....

      Πολιτική κάλυψη σε ενδεχόμενη στρατιωτική επίθεση της Δύσης εναντίον της Συρίας προσέφερε χθες ο Αραβικός Σύνδεσμος. Η ένωση των 22 αραβικών κρατών, εκπρόσωποι των οποίων συνεδρίασαν στο Κάιρο, αποφάνθηκε ότι η συριακή κυβέρνηση φέρει την αποκλειστική ευθύνη για την επίθεση της περασμένης εβδομάδας με χημικά όπλα και αξίωσε «να παραπεμφθούν σε διεθνές δικαστήριο οι υπεύθυνοι γι’ αυτό το απεχθές έγκλημα». Επιπλέον, κάλεσε τα μέλη του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας του ΟΗΕ να υπερβούν τις διαφωνίες τους και να λάβουν «τις αναγκαίες αποφάσεις εναντίον των υπαιτίων».

      Διπλωματικές πηγές στο Κάιρο ανέφεραν ότι η απόφαση του Αραβικού Συνδέσμου ελήφθη υπό την πίεση των μοναρχιών του Περσικού Κόλπου και κυρίως της Σαουδικής Αραβίας και του Κατάρ, δύο κρατών που από την έναρξη του συριακού εμφυλίου πολέμου παίζουν πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο στην οικονομική και στρατιωτική ενίσχυση των Σύρων αντικαθεστωτικών. Kατά της απόφασης ψήφισαν Ιράκ και Λίβανος, όπου πλειοψηφεί ο σιιτικός πληθυσμός, όπως και η Αλγερία.....http://www.kathimerini.com.cy/index.php?pageaction=kat&modid=1&artid=144993
      28/8/13

      Delete
    5. ΗΠΑ: Υπέκλεψαν συνομιλίες που δείχνουν ότι η επίθεση διαπράχθηκε από τις δυνάμεις του Άσαντ...

      Οι αμερικανικές υπηρεσίες Πληροφοριών υπέκλεψαν τηλεφωνικές συνομιλίες ενός «πανικόβλητου» αξιωματούχου του υπουργείου Άμυνας της Συρίας με τον διοικητή της Μονάδας των χημικών όπλων, μετά την επίθεση της περασμένης εβδομάδας στα ανατολικά περίχωρα της Δαμασκού, σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα του περιοδικού Foreign Policy.

      «Τις ώρες που ακολούθησαν την τρομακτική επίθεση με χημικά όπλα ανατολικά της Δαμασκού, αξιωματούχος του συριακού υπουργείου Άμυνας είχε τηλεφωνικές συνομιλίες σε κατάσταση πανικού με τον διοικητή της μονάδας των χημικών όπλων, ζητώντας εξηγήσεις για την επίθεση με νευροπαραλυτικό αέριο που σκότωσε περισσότερους των 1.000 ανθρώπους», σύμφωνα με το περιοδικό......http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_28/08/2013_515804
      28/8/13

      Delete
  9. UK National Security Council to meet...

    The UK PM is due to chair an emergency meeting on Syria, after Britain drafted a UN Security Council resolution authorising "necessary measures" to protect civilians in the country.

    David Cameron said the resolution condemned the "chemical weapons attack by [Syrian President] Assad".

    The resolution will be put forward at a meeting of the five permanent members of the council later in New York.

    Meanwhile, the UK National Security Council (NSC) meeting begins at midday.

    The Syrian government has denied it is responsible for the alleged chemical attack near Damascus on 21 August in which hundreds of people are reported to have died, blaming instead opposition figures.....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23864016
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  10. le Royaume-Uni va présenter un projet de résolution à l'ONU...

    Une intervention militaire en Syrie se dessine. Plusieurs pays mettent en garde les Etats-Unis, la France et le Royaume-Uni contre une action unilatérale.....http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/revolte-en-syrie/direct-syrie-la-grande-bretagne-va-presenter-un-projet-de-resolution-a-l-onu_398691.html#xtor=RSS-3-[]
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anglican leader warns Cameron not to 'rush to judgment' on Syria...

    (Reuters) - The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged British Prime Minister David Cameron not to "rush to judgment" over military action in Syria, warning it could have unforeseeable consequences across the Muslim world.

    Justin Welby's comments were published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper before meeting of Britain's National Security Council on Wednesday which Cameron will chair.

    Parliament will debate Britain's response to chemical weapons attacks in Syria on Thursday after Cameron cut short his holiday and recalled lawmakers (MPs) to address the issue.

    Welby, leader of the 80-million-member Anglican church, said members of parliament must be sure about the facts before acting in what is a "really delicate and dangerous situation.

    "The things MPs will have to bear in mind in what is going to be a very very difficult debate is firstly: are we sure about the facts on the ground?" he said.

    "Secondly: is it possible to have a carefully calibrated response, including armed force, if you are sure about the facts on the ground, that does not have unforeseeable ramifications across the whole Arab and Muslim world?"

    He acknowledged that people outside government, including himself, did not know what the true situation in Syria was....http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/28/us-syria-crisis-britain-archbishop-idUSBRE97R0CP20130828?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  12. Reino Unido presentará hoy en la ONU una resolución para “proteger civiles”....

    1. Los inspectores de la organización internacional reanudan su misión en Damasco
    2. La OTAN se reúne hoy en Bruselas para discutir su papel en la crisis siria
    ---
    El primer ministro británico, David Cameron, ha anunciado que presentará hoy una resolución ante el Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas para que condene el ataque con armas químicas "por parte de [el presidente sirio, Bachar] El Asad" y autorice "las medidas necesarias" para proteger "a los civiles sirios".

    "Siempre hemos dicho que queremos que el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU esté a la altura de sus responsabilidades. Hoy tenemos la oportunidad de hacerlo", ha dicho Cameron a través de su cuenta de twitter. "El Reino Unido ha preparado un borrador de resolución para condenar el ataque con armas químicas por parte de Asad y que autorice las medidas necesarias para proteger civiles".

    Esta resolución "autorizará todas las medidas necesarias en virtud del capítulo VII de la Carta de Naciones Unidas", precisaron a la agencia France Presse fuentes del Gobierno británico. El capítulo VII está dedicado a "todas las acciones que representen una amenaza para la paz, ruptura de la paz y actos de agresión".....http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2013/08/28/actualidad/1377677769_789878.html
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  13. Türkei als "Flugzeugträger" für Schlag gegen Assad...

    Eine Woche nach dem mutmaßlichen Giftgaseinsatz in Syrien zeichnet sich ein Militäreinsatz ab. Eine Schlüsselrolle kommt dabei der Türkei zu, die befürchtet, von Giftgasraketen getroffen zu werden.

    Als direkte Nachbarin des Bürgerkriegslandes Syrien mit einer 900 Kilometer langen Grenze spielt die Türkei bei den Überlegungen für westliche Militärschläge gegen Präsident Baschar al-Assad eine wichtige Rolle. Sein Land sei zur Teilnahme an einer internationalen Koalition gegen Assad bereit, sagt Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu, der im engen Kontakt mit seinem US-Kollegen John Kerry steht. Doch obwohl Ankara einen Sturz Assads anstrebt, ist eine Militärintervention in der Türkei heftig umstritten – und für Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan politisch riskant.

    Der frühere Assad-Partner Türkei ist heute ein Erzfeind des syrischen Staatsschefs. Erdogan und Davutoglu hatten Assad zu Beginn des syrischen Aufstandes vor zwei Jahren beschworen, die Lage mit politischen Reformen zu beruhigen. Assad hielt die Türken hin, tat aber nichts. Darauf schlug sich die Türkei auf die Seite der Assad-Gegner und erlaubte es den politischen und militärischen Organisationen der Regierungsgegner, sich auf türkischem Boden zu formieren.....http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article119459308/Tuerkei-als-Flugzeugtraeger-fuer-Schlag-gegen-Assad.html
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ban fordert mehr Zeit für Inspektoren in Syrien...

    Großbritannien will dem UN-Sicherheitsrat einen Resolutionsentwurf vorlegen, um Zivilisten in Syrien besser zu schützen. UN-Generalsekretär Ban verlangt mehr Zeit für die Inspektoren. Derweil gehen die Vorbereitungen für einen Militärschlag weiter. ....http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/plaene-fuer-militaerschlag-ban-fordert-mehr-zeit-fuer-inspektoren-in-syrien-12549780.html
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  15. UN inspectors resume Syria attack probe...

    Inspections begin at site of alleged chemical attack, as UK plans to put forward resolution to UN on Syria.

    UN inspectors have left their Damascus hotel to carry out a second day of inspections at the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburb of Ghouta, witnesses say.

    A convoy of six vehicles was seen leaving the hotel on Wednesday morning, though it was unclear what the exact destination of the inspectors would be.

    The inspectors' first such visit on Monday was briefly suspended after the UN's convoy came under sniper firefrom unidentified gunmen, though they did visit two field hospitals to collect evidence.....http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/08/201382881449762460.html
    28/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  16. Carla del Ponte to travel to Syria to investigate alleged chemical weapons strikes...

    Carla del Ponte, a member of the UN special commission on human rights violations and war crimes in Syria, is planning to travel to Damascus next week to investigate the alleged chemical weapons attacks, the RIA Novosti news agency reports, citing a well-informed diplomatic source.

    “Next week, Carla del Ponte will head for Syria to conduct her own investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons and establish those responsible. Details of her trip are currently being coordinated with the Syrian authorities,” the source said.

    The West has blamed the alleged chemical strikes on the Assad regime and called for military intervention. A team of UN inspectors are currently in Syria on a fact-finding mission. In May, Carla del Ponte said she strongly suspected the Syrian opposition might have used chemical weapons.
    Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_08_30/Carla-del-Ponte-to-travel-to-Syria-to-investigate-alleged-chemical-weapons-strikes-6292/
    30/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  17. Οι ΗΠΑ δεν ξέρουν ποιός ελέγχει ένα μέρος των χημικών όπλων της Συρίας...

    Οι κατασκοπευτικές υπηρεσίες των ΗΠΑ δεν ξέρουν τώρα ποιός συγκεκριμένα ελέγχει ένα μέρος του οπλοστασίου χημικών όπλων στη Συρία στα κατεχόμενα εδάφη της αντιπολίτευσης, - μετέδωσε το πρακτορείο ειδήσεων Associated Press.

    Σαν πηγή αυτών των πληροφοριών το πρακτορείο ονόμασε 4 τέσσερις Αμερικανούς αξιωματούχους που κατέστησαν σαφές ότι ένα μέρος των πυρομαχικών με δηλητηριώδεις ουσίες μπορούσε να πέσει στα χέρια των δυνάμεων της αντιπολίτευσης.
    Διαβάστε ολόκληρο το κείμενο: http://greek.ruvr.ru/news/2013_08_30/238649983/
    30/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  18. UN inspectors head to hospital in government-held Damascus...

    BEIRUT - A team of United Nations inspectors departed in three cars to a hospital in a government-held area of central Damascus to visit doctors on Friday, a Reuters witness said.

    The inspectors have spent the week visiting rebel-held areas on the outskirts of Damascus following reports of a chemical weapons attack last week that the opposition blames on President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government accuses the rebels of chemical weapons attacks on civilians and soldiers.

    The witness said the inspectors were not carrying body armor, indicating they would not cross into rebel-held territory.
    http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/UN-inspectors-head-to-hospital-in-government-held-Damascus-324779
    30/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  19. U.S.: If we need legal justification for Syria strike, we'll produce one on our own....

    Obama calls Boehner to discuss the deliberations on Syria; State Department spokeswoman says nobody is talking about an 'Iraq-style intervention' when it comes to Syria....http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.544214
    29/8/13

    ReplyDelete
  20. US notes yearlong escalation of chemical weapons use in Syria...Officials knew of at least 11 incidents before the August 21 attack the US says killed 1,429, the LA Times reports...

    According to a report in the Los Angeles Times late Friday, top US lawmakers were first briefed on the use of such weapons in July 2012 — a month before US President Barack Obama would announce his “red lines.” US officials who saw the intelligence, however, said the intelligence for that incident was inconclusive.

    But it was the beginning of a stream of information on the escalating use of chemical weapons by the regime.

    On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the administration knew of at least 11 incidents where Assad used chemical weapons even before the August attack, which is more than double the number the US had previously divulged.

    But the administration did not go public with the information, saying that it believed Assad used chemical weapons only in April this year, a month after a March sarin attack in Syria went awry and also killed government troops.

    “The president didn’t believe it was a compelling enough case to win the support of the American people and the world,” Kerry told lawmakers when he was asked why the US didn’t push for military action in April.

    Chemical attacks, said US officials cited in the report, started small — for the “psychological impact” — and grew larger as they were met with no international response. in some cases, Assad forces used a single shell in a given area, killing 10 people at a time, or less.

    In June this year, as the evidence was becoming hard to ignore, according to the report, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes announced that “our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year.”

    He cited four attacks: March 19 and April 13 near Aleppo; May 14 in the town of Qasr Abu Samra; and a May 23 attack in the eastern part of Damascus.....http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-saw-yearlong-escalation-of-chemical-weapons-use-in-syria/
    7/9/13

    ReplyDelete
  21. Syrian rebel groups sought to buy materials for chemical weapons, prosecutors say...

    A public prosecutor completed his indictment as part of the probe into the chemicals seized in the southern province of Hatay on Sept. 12, claiming that jihadist Syrian rebel groups were seeking to buy materials that could be used to produce highly toxic sarin gas.

    The indictment, which included transcripts of several phone conversations between the suspects involved, said that a 35-year-old Syrian citizen, identified as Hytham Qassap, established a connection with a network in Turkey in order to procure chemical materials for the al-Nusra Front and jihadist Ahrar al-Sham Brigades.

    The indictment rejected the legitimacy of the suspects’ claim that they were unaware the chemicals they tried to obtain could be used to produce sarin gas.

    “The suspects have pleaded not guilty saying that they had not been aware the materials they had tried to obtain could have been used to make sarin gas. Suspects have been consistenly providing conflicting and incoherent facts on this matter,” the indictment said.

    Prosecutors also indicated that Turkish dealers of the chemical materials told the prime suspect Qassap during their phone conversations that two of the eight chemicals he was trying to acquire were subject to state approval.

    The indictment also contained Qassap’s testimony where he confessed his links with the Ahrar al-Sham Brigades and moved to the city of Antakya following the instructions of its leader, Abu Walid. “After I arrived in Antakya, other rebel groups had come into contact with me. While some had asked me for medicine and other humanitarian aid supplies, others wanted to obtain military equipment,” he told prosecutors.

    A total of 11 people were arrested during the investigation launched late May after police received a tip suggesting that some Syrian rebel groups were looking to procure materials that could be used to produce chemical weapons.

    Qassap and five Turkish suspects have been arrested while five others have been released. The other Turkish suspects were also released after lab tests proved that chemicals seized during the operation were not sarin gas.
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-rebel-groups-sought-to-buy-materials-for-chemical-weapons-prosecutors-say.aspx?pageID=238&nID=54365&NewsCatID=341
    12/9/13

    ReplyDelete
  22. Attaques chimiques en Syrie: un journaliste américain accuse Obama de manipulation....

    Par LEXPRESS.fr, publié le 10/12/2013 à 17:25

    Un journaliste américain affirme que Barack Obama aurait rejoué le scénario des armes de destruction massives en Irak pour justifier des frappes en Syrie. Mais le sérieux de son enquête est mis en doute.

    "Barack Obama n'a pas raconté toute l'histoire." Seymour Hersh, un journaliste d'investigation américain, met en cause le président américain. Selon son enquête, publiée sur la London Review of Books, l'administration américaine aurait omis de mentionner des preuves indiquant que le régime syrien n'était pas nécessairement responsable de l'attaque au gaz sarin qui lui est imputée.

    Le 21 août 2013, 1400 personnes, selon les autrorités américaines, dont plusieurs centaines d'enfants, ont trouvé la mort dans une attaque chimique dans la Ghouta, la banlieue de Damas. Lors d'un discours télévisé, le 10 septembre, Barack Obama accusait le régime syrien d'être l'auteur de ce massacre. Le président affirmait avoir des preuves que la "ligne rouge" -l'utilisation d'armes chimiques- avait été franchie par Bachar el-Assad et envisageait alors des frappes aériennes américaines contre des positions du régime syrien.
    Une manipulation similaire à celle utilisée pour la guerre en Irak?

    Seymour Hersh met en doute ces preuves. Les Américains auraient omis de tenir compte de preuves selon lesquelles le front Al-Nosra, un groupe djihadiste affilié à Al-Qaida, aurait été en mesure de produire du gaz sarin. "Lorsque l'attaque a eu lieu, Al-Nosra aurait dû être suspecté, mais l'administration a sélectionné ses informations pour justifier une attaque contre Assad", écrit le journaliste.

    Selon lui, l'administration Obama ne s'appuyait pas sur des renseignements interceptés en temps réel, mais sur des conversations antérieures à l'attaque. "Ce n'était pas une description des événements spécifiques qui ont mené à l'attaque du 21 août, mais le détail d'un processus que l'armée syrienne aurait suivi pour n'importe quelle attaque chimique", affirme Seymour Hersh. "Le mécanisme de sélection a été analogue à celui utilisé pour justifier la guerre en Irak", continue-t-il.
    Des journaux américains ont renoncé à publier l'enquête

    Le journaliste récompensé par le prix Pulitzer en 1970 pour avoir révélé le massacre de My Lai au Viêt Nam écrit régulièrement pour le New Yorker, pour lequel il s'est intéressé à la torture de prisonniers irakiens à Abou Ghraib.

    Mais cette fois, selon Le Monde, le Washington Post a refusé de publier l'article de Seymour Hersh, estimant que les sources utilisées ne "correspondaient pas à [ses] normes". Le New Yorker n'a pas non plus souhaité publier cette enquête...........http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/proche-moyen-orient/attaques-chimiques-en-syrie-un-journaliste-americain-accuse-obama-de-manipulation_1306527.html#w93OgfyQ6Llk4akE.99
    10/12/13

    ReplyDelete
  23. Syrie: utilisation d'armes chimiques probable sur 5 sites, selon l'ONU....

    Des armes chimiques ont été utilisées, de manière probable ou certaine, à cinq reprises dans le conflit syrien, affirme le rapport final des inspecteurs de l'ONU transmis jeudi à Ban Ki-moon.

    Le rapport cite des "preuves" ou des "informations crédibles" qui tendent à prouver cette utilisation dans la Ghouta près de Damas, à Khan al-Assal (près d'Alep, nord), à Jobar, à Saraqeb (nord-ouest) et à Achrafié Sahnaya. En revanche, les indices ne sont pas jugés concluants à Bahhariyé, ni à Cheikh Maqsoud (un faubourg d'Alep).

    Le rapport "conclut que des armes chimiques ont été utilisées dans le conflit en cours entre les parties en Syrie", mais il ne désigne pas les responsables de ces attaques probables à l'arme chimique car il n'entrait pas dans le cadre du mandat des inspecteurs de le faire.

    Le document confirme ce que disait le rapport préliminaire des inspecteurs, remis le 16 septembre au secrétaire général de l'ONU, à propos du massacre à l'arme chimique commis selon les occidentaux par les forces du régime le 21 août. La mission "a recueilli des preuves flagrantes et convaincantes de l'utilisation d'armes chimiques contre des civils, dont des enfants, à une échelle relativement large dans la région de la Ghouta de Damas le 21 août".

    En ce qui concerne Khan al-Assal, où pouvoir et opposition s'accusent mutuellement d'avoir employé des armes chimiques, la mission "a recueilli des informations crédibles qui corroborent les accusations d'utilisation d'armes chimiques le 19 mars 2013 contre des soldats et des civils".

    A Jobar, près de Damas, les inspecteurs ont trouvé "des preuves concordant avec l'utilisation probable d'armes chimiques le 24 août 2013 à une échelle relativement faible contre des soldats", sans toutefois pouvoir être formels, en l'absence notamment d'informations fiables sur le système de lancement de ces armes.

    A Saraqeb (nord-ouest), "les preuves récoltées suggèrent que des armes chimiques ont été utilisées le 24 août à faible échelle contre des civils".

    A Achrafié Sahnaya, les indices récoltés -- qui sont généralement des témoignages, débris de munitions, échantillons de terre et de sang -- "suggèrent" l'utilisation d'armes chimiques le 25 août "à faible échelle contre des soldats", sans encore une fois constituer des preuves formelles, selon les inspecteurs de l'ONU.

    Enfin à Bahhariyé (22 août) et Cheikh Maqsoud (13 avril), les enquêteurs n'ont "pas pu corroborer les accusations" sur le recours à l'arme chimique. A Bahhariyé, les tests sur des échantillons de sang recueillis par le gouvernement syrien "ont été négatifs".

    Le gouvernement syrien avait accusé l'opposition d'avoir eu recours à l'arme chimique à Khan al-Assal, Jobar, Achrafié Sahnaya et Bahhariyé.
    AFP
    http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_syrie-utilisation-d-armes-chimiques-probable-ou-certaine-sur-5-sites-selon-l-onu?id=8156519
    13/12/13

    ReplyDelete
  24. UN: chemical arms used 5 times in Syria...

    A U.N. report released on Thursday concluded that chemical weapons have been used at least five times during the 2 1/2-year civil war, which has killed more than 100,000 people.

    “The United Nations Mission concludes that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Agence France-Presse quoted the report, which was prepared by a team of experts, as saying.

    Chemical weapons were likely used in five out of the seven attacks investigated by U.N. experts in Syria, the report stated.

    The deadly nerve agent sarin was also likely used in four incidents.

    The report was presented on Thursday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by Ake Sellstrom, the head of the team of experts on chemical weapons. It has been distributed to Security Council members and Ban was due to present it to the General Assembly on Friday.

    When he received the report, Ban called the use of chemical weapons “a grave violation of international law and an affront to our shared humanity.”

    “We need to remain vigilant to ensure that these awful weapons are eliminated, not only in Syria, but everywhere.”

    Activists and oppositions groups alleged that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime used chemical weapons against civilians in a Damascus neighborhood on Aug. 21.

    Images of dead children from the Eastern Ghouta neighborhood compelled the international community to sound the alarm.

    President Assad’s government agreed to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal after the Aug. 21 Ghouta attack, which had led to threats of U.S. air strikes. Syria also acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

    The U.N. report concluded that the banned chemical weapons were used during the incidence.

    The final report said the mission “collected clear and convincing evidence that chemical weapons were used also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale” on that day in Ghouta, AFP reported.

    “A number of patients/survivors were clearly diagnosed as intoxicated by an organophosphorous compound,” the report added.

    “Blood and urine samples from the same patients were found positive for sarin and sarin signatures.”

    The Syrian leader has admitted his forces hold chemical weapons, and has vowed to surrender them to international experts. But he insists his forces did not target civilians.

    The U.N. said it could not corroborate their use in two of seven sites studied - Bahhariyeh and Sheik Maqsood.

    The report does not attribute blame for the attacks, as this was beyond the mandate given the team by the U.N. Security Council........http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/12/13/Syria-used-chemicals-multiple-times-U-N-.html
    13/12/13

    ReplyDelete
  25. Η χρήση των χημικών όπλων έχει επιβεβαιωθεί σε 5 σημεία στη Συρία ....

    Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας του ΟΗΕ Μπαν Κι Μουν έλαβε την έκθεση με τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας για τη χρήση χημικών όπλων στη Συρία. Το έγγραφο ετοιμάστηκε από τον Σουηδό καθηγητή Όκε Σελστριόμ, ο οποίος καθοδηγούσε το έργο των επιθεωρητών.

    Η ομάδα εμπειρογνωμόνων του ΟΗΕ τους τελευταίους μήνες ασχολήθηκε με τη συλλογή και ανάλυση των πληροφοριών σχετικά με επτά περιστατικά. Το γεγονός χρήσης χημικών όπλων επιβεβαιώθηκε σε πέντε περιπτώσεις: στο Χαν-αλ-Ασάλ στις 19 Μαρτίου, στο Σαρακέμπε στις 29 Απριλίου, στη Γκούτα στις 21 Αυγούστου, στη Τζομπάρα στις 24 Αυγούστου και στο Ασραφιέ-Σαχναέ στις 25 Αυγούστου.

    Νωρίτερα είχε αναφερθεί ότι στη Γκούτα χρησιμοποιήθηκε το δηλητηριώδες αέριο σαρίν.
    Διαβάστε ολόκληρο το κείμενο: http://greek.ruvr.ru/news/2013_12_13/255564525/
    13/12/13

    ReplyDelete
  26. Syria biological weapons scare another way to justify US ‘armed struggle policy’...

    The US continues to demonize the Syrian government while Washington is looking for ways to balance arms supplies to the rebels against Geneva talks, anti-war activist Brian Becker told RT, claiming that America’s ultimate goal is to remove Assad.

    On Wednesday, US intelligence chief James Clapper abruptly warned senators that Syria possess the capability to produce biological weapons.

    “We judge that some elements of Syria’s biological warfare program might have advanced beyond the research and development stage and might be capable of limited agent production, based on the duration of its longstanding program,” Clapper, director of national intelligence, said in a written statement presented to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

    Clapper also warned that the Syrian conflict had become a “huge magnet” for Islamist extremists, claiming that those elements pose a direct danger to US and its allies, as around 7,000 foreign fighters are joined with 26,000 fighters deemed to be “extremists.”

    Brian Becker, director of the Anti-War Answer Coalition, told RT that the US government is once again trying to keep up public rationales for carrying out an armed civil war policy in Syria................http://rt.com/op-edge/us-syria-biological-weapons-385/
    30/1/14

    ReplyDelete
  27. Syrian government theories that rebels used nerve gas are 'poor:' U.N. expert...

    (Reuters) - Syrian authorities who blamed the opposition for a deadly sarin gas attack last August have failed to present a plausible theory for how the rebels could have obtained the nerve agent, a U.N. investigator said in an interview published on Thursday.

    France, Britain and the United States accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the August 21 attack in which hundreds of people, including women and children, were killed. Syria and its ally Russia said it was rebel fighters who unleashed the chemical weapon.

    Without categorically saying which side was to blame, chief United Nations investigator Ake Sellstrom said it was "difficult to see" how the opposition could have weaponized the toxins.

    He told CBRNe World, a specialist publication on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, that he had asked Syrian authorities several times to back up their claim that rebels fired the weapons.

    "They have quite poor theories: they talk about smuggling through Turkey, labs in Iraq and I asked them, pointedly, what about your own stores, have your own stores been stripped of anything, have you dropped a bomb that has been claimed, bombs that can be recovered by the opposition? They denied that.

    "To me it is strange. If they really want to blame the opposition they should have a good story as to how they got hold of the munitions, and they didn't take the chance to deliver that story," Sellstrom said, in rare public comments from a leading figure in the inquiry.
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/30/us-syria-crisis-chemical-idUSBREA0S19720140130?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
    30/1/14

    ReplyDelete
  28. Moscou n'exclut pas la possibilité d'une nouvelle attaque chimique de la part du groupe djihadiste Etat islamique (EI), a indiqué vendredi à RIA Novosti Mikhaïl Oulianov, directeur du département de la non-prolifération et du contrôle des armements du ministère russe des Affaires étrangères...

    Selon lui, il faut prendre très au sérieux les informations transmises par Damas à l'Organisation pour l'interdiction des armées chimiques (OIAC), selon lesquelles l'EI a utilisé du chlore en Syrie.

    "Autant que je sache, cette information a été fournie par la Syrie à l'OIAC et au Comité 1540 du Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu. Les Syriens disposent de nombreux éléments de ce genre. Nous insistons sur la nécessité de les étudier attentivement, y compris les messages radio interceptés", a déclaré le diplomate.

    D'après M. Oulianov, "il existe des informations confirmées selon lesquelles le groupe Etat islamique a utilisé du chlore non seulement en Syrie, mais aussi en Irak".
    Lire la suite: http://french.ruvr.ru/2015_01_17/LEI-pourrait-utiliser-a-nouveau-des-armes-chimiques-Moscou-0562/
    17/1/15

    ReplyDelete

Only News

Featured Post

US Democratic congresswoman : There is no difference between 'moderate' rebels and al-Qaeda or the ISIS

United States Congresswoman and Democratic Party member Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday revealed that she held a meeting with Syrian Presiden...

Blog Widget by LinkWithin