Secretary-General of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Haitham Rahma, stressed that the international inaction towards the chemical weapons cache that the Assad regime continues to conceal and use in its war against the Syrian people constitutes a serious threat to millions of Syrians and neighboring countries. He cited the findings of the 98th monthly report by the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical (OPCW) Weapons on the Assad regime’s program of chemical weapons. The report was submitted to the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
Rahma said that the OPCW’s recent report confirms the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people. He said that the international community must establish an effective mechanism capable of monitoring and holding the regime accountable for its use of internationally prohibited weapons.
Rahma stressed that the Assad regime continues to respond to UN resolutions with more massacres, crimes, and the use of chemical weapons.
Moreover, Rahma said that rights groups have documented the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons in more than 184 attacks since UN Security Council Resolution 2118 was issued in 2013, and in more than 170 attacks since UN Security Council resolutions 2209 and 2235 were issued in 2015.
Rahma stressed that the international community and UN Security Council have legal and moral responsibilities that require action to ensure that criminals do not escape punishment. He also called for activating international accountability for the Assad regime officials, chief among them is Assad, for war crimes.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
