The foreign ministers of seven Western and Arab states said that they “deeply regret that the Security Council has failed once again to unite in calling for the protection of civilians,” stressing that the use of chemical weapons “shall not be tolerated.”
The remarks came in a joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and United States at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings.
The statement called for “an immediate and genuine ceasefire in Idlib,” reiterating that there can be no military solution to the Syria crisis, only a political settlement.”
“We therefore strongly support the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria in his efforts towards a political settlement in line with Security Council Resolution 2254.”
The statement stressed that the “use of any chemical weapons in Syria shall not be tolerated,” demanding that all parties “comply with their obligations under international law.”
The statement stressed the importance of accountability in any efforts to bring about a sustainable, inclusive and peaceful solution to the conflict. It pledged continued support for the efforts to ensure that all perpetrators of abuses and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are identified and held accountable.
Meanwhile, the US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey told Al-Arabiya TV that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons in attacks in Syria, adding that the US response could take various forms including military or diplomatic measures, or economic sanctions.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US intelligence has determined that the Assad regime had used chlorine as a chemical weapon on May 19 in its onslaught to recapture Idlib, adding that the Trump administration will not let it go “unchallenged.”
The attack is just the latest atrocity the Assad’s regime committed in Syria’s eight-and-a-half-year old war, many of which amount to “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Pompeo said Friday. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
