The United States has prepared a draft UN Security Council resolution to condemn the use of chlorine gas in Syria, according to a Western diplomats, who said that consultations are still underway with the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council.
He also said that Russia “appeared willing to issue a presidential statement on banning the use of chlorine gas as a weapon, adding that the use barrel bombs violates international and humanitarian law as these weapons cannot distinguish between military and civilian targets.”
It is scheduled that the UN Security Council will hear a briefing today on the parties’ commitment to the implementation of resolution 2139.
Member of the political committee Hadi al-Bahra earlier welcomed condemnation by the OPCW Executive Council of the use of chlorine gas in Syria. The decision came in response to the latest Fact Finding Mission (FFM) report which found “with a high degree of confidence” that chlorine was used on three villages in northern Syria from April to August last year, killing 13 people.
The FFM’s report also said that 32 of the 37 people interviewed “saw or heard the sound of a helicopter over the village at the time of the attack, with barrel bombs containing toxic chemicals,” which clearly points to regime’s culpability since it is the only side that has such deliverance capabilities.
Bahra calls on the OPCW to refer the FFM’s report to the UN Security Council and criminalize the use of chlorine gas and ensure that the OPCW mission has completed the dismantling and destruction of Assad’s chemical weapons stockpiles. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Al Hayat)
