The inspectors of the United Nation confirmed in the report they issued that the use of Sarin gas in the chemical attacks launched by the Syrian regime against Ghouta in rural Damascus last month. In the report, the inspectors argued that: “surface-to-surface missiles had been launched” from the areas which are under the control of the regime. Hence, there is an implied reference that the regime forces are in charge of this attack as reported by some analysts. However, the Secretary-General of the United Nations stressed that determining who is responsible for using the chemical weapons was not the task of his team. In addition, he explained that “the task of his team was limited to the determination of whether or not chemical weapons had been indeed used in Syria.” After receiving the report, Ban Ki-Moon expressed “his great shock and regret about the conclusion of the report” which showed that chemical weapons were used widely and that it led to a large number of victims. In a statement; Ban ki-Moon said “This is a war crime and a grave violation of the 1925 Protocol and other rules of customary international law. I trust all can join me in condemning this despicable crime.” He added that “The international community has a responsibility to hold the perpetrators accountable and to ensure that chemical weapons never re-emerge as an instrument of warfare.”
John Kerry asked the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW)” to move quickly in order to execute the Russian-American agreement “and to avoid blaming any party for the use of Sarin gas.” He stressed that punishing those responsible for the chemical attack was inevitable; however it would be left for discussion in Security Council.
The UN report contains photographs, documents and detailed information on the results of the investigation. It specified the missiles used, the victims and their injuries, and the names of chemical ingredients used in the attacks. The report added that “the environmental and medical samples, showed clearly and convincingly, that the surface-to-surface missiles and had been loaded with the nerve gas, Sarin launched in Ain Tarma, Al Maadamia and Zamalka in the Ghouta of Damascus.” Furthermore, “the Committee interviewed more than fifty of the survivors and workers of medical personnel; all of them gave similar medical results “. Additionally, “the symptoms of poisoning were clear among a number of the injured and these symptoms indicated that people were poisoned by a component of organic phosphor.” The investigative committee did interviews with thirty-six of the injured: sixteen from Al Maadamia and twenty from Zamalka. The tests concluded that one hundred percent of the urine tests administered to the injured in Al Maadamia showed Sarin gas; ninety percent of the injured in Zamalka were poisoned by the same gas.
