The Secretary-General of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Haytham Rahmeh, has welcomed the international positions issued following the release of a report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that confirms the responsibility of the Assad regime for the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the town of Douma in rural Damascus in 2018.
Rahmeh emphasized that simply holding Assad accountable without taking real and tangible measures is no longer viable. He also noted that UN Resolution 2118, issued in 2013, stressed the need to ban chemical weapons and prevent their use, and to put in place strict security measures in accordance with Article 7 against those involved in the use of chemical weapons.
The OPCW report confirms for the third time the responsibility of the Assad regime for the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people, putting the United Nations in a position of responsibility to save the Syrian people and remove the criminal regime from power, and achieve long-awaited international justice.
The United States, Britain, France, and Germany have issued a joint statement condemning the repeated use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. The statement also refutes Russia’s claim that the attack was carried out by the opposition. The four countries have called on Russia to stop covering up the Assad regime’s actions and helping it with impunity, and have stated that the Kremlin’s falsification of information will not succeed in hiding Russia’s involvement in aiding the Assad regime in committing crimes.
The official spokeswoman for the National Security Council at the White House has confirmed that the OPCW investigation has made it clear that those who use chemical weapons will not escape accountability. She also reaffirmed her country’s commitment to holding the Assad regime accountable for its violations, including this brutal attack on civilians.
(Source: SOC’s media department)
