Washington calls on the Security Council to take firm measures against the Assad regime for its use of chemical weapons

On Monday evening, Washington called on the UN Security Council to take firm measures against the Assad regime for its use of chemical weapons against civilians.

This came during a session of the Council to discuss the periodic report of the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Fernando Arias, on the disposal of Syria’s chemical program.

The Secretary-General’s High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamatsu, presented the report to the members of the Council, covering the period between August 24 and September 23, 2021.

The Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Richard Mills, called for the imposition of sanctions on Bashar al-Assad regime, pursuant to Council Resolution No. 2118.

“The Assad regime has completely failed to comply with its obligations, and continues to ignore calls from the international community to fully disclose and verifiably eliminate its chemical weapons program,” Mills added.

He continued: “The Council must impose measures under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. It is time for this council to take firm action and respond to Syria’s non-compliance.”

While the first deputy representative of Russia, Ambassador Dmitry Polansky, claimed during the session that: “the alleged cases of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons are based on false evidence,” according to his claim.

He added, “The report that you are discussing today has done a great deal of damage to the reputation of the director general of this organization (he means the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons).”

While Nakamitsu said, “Guterres considers unity among members of the Security Council a prerequisite for identifying and holding accountable all those who used chemical weapons in Syria.”

She added that the Assad regime’s announcement of ending its chemical program was “inaccurate and incomplete, and there are gaps and inconsistency in information.”

She also added, “The Secretary-General has repeatedly stressed that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable anywhere, in any circumstance and by anyone, and impunity for their users is also unacceptable.”

On Monday, Western countries, during a meeting in The Hague of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, demanded the Assad regime to allow the inspectors of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to enter its territory, considering that Bashar al-Assad continues to violate its obligations towards this body.