It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
New York, 16 September 2013 - Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council on the report of the United Nations Missions to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons on the incident that occurred on 21 August 2013 in the Ghouta area of Damascus
It is with a heavy heart that I submit to the Security Council the report of the United Nations Missions to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons on the incident that occurred on 21 August 2013 in the Ghouta area of Damascus.
Survivors reported that following an attack with shelling, they quickly experienced a range of symptoms, including shortness of breath, disorientation, eye irritation, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and general weakness. Many eventually lost consciousness. First responders described seeing a large number of individuals lying on the ground, many of them dead or unconscious.
Due to the security situation and other limitations, the Mission was unable to document the full extent of the use of chemical weapons on 21 August or to verify the total number of causalities. The results are overwhelming and indisputable. The facts speak for themselves.
GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by antar
I am still unconvinced it was the Syrian Army and believe it was most likely the rebels. Notice they are always just trying to convince the public chemical were used despite the fact 99 percent of the population believes it. What we don't believe is that was for sure the Syrian Army and the best report on the attacks come from Russia, it is very detailed and fingers the rebels as the guilty party with a lot of evidence to support the suggestion.
The humanitarian situation is desperate. Food supplies are dangerously low in some places. We lack access to many people in need. People are living under siege. Families face intolerable choices between the risk of remaining in place and the risk of taking flight. Communities that once lived in relative harmony are now torn with sectarian tension. One third of the country’s people have fled their homes -- the largest flows of refugees and internally displaced persons in many years, causing instability across the region. We need to do everything we can to bring the parties to the negotiating table. This is the only path to a durable solution. I stand ready to convene the International Conference on Syria in Geneva as soon as possible. I look forward to meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary Kerry on 28 September. I hope we will be able to set a date for the conference at that time. I also hope that this Council will provide full support to the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi to prepare the ground for its launch.
Let me turn now to the handling and analysis of the materials that were collected by the Mission.
The samples were sent for analysis to four laboratories designated by the OPCW. The Mission’s factual findings are as follows.
(a)The environmental and biomedical samples demonstrate the widespread nature of the attacks. Eighty-five per cent of the blood samples tested positive for sarin. Biomedical samples were taken from 34 of the 36 patients selected by the Mission who had signs of poisoning. Almost all tested positive for exposure to sarin.
(b)These results were corroborated by the clinical assessments, which documented symptoms and signs consistent with nerve agent exposure. A number of affected patients were diagnosed with intoxification by an organophosphorous compound, and clearly showed symptoms associated with sarin, including loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, blurred vision, eye inflammation, vomiting and seizures.
(c)A majority of the environmental samples confirmed the use of sarin. The samples were taken from impact sites and surrounding areas – locations where survivors were also found to have been affected by sarin.
(d)The team was also able to examine impacted and exploded surface-to-surface rockets that are capable of carrying a chemical payload. These were carefully measured, photographed and sampled. A majority of the rockets or rocket fragments recovered were found to be carrying sarin.
intrptr
reply to post by doitalready
So you land here and dismiss the UN findings just_like_that.
What, did you conduct your own investigation over there on the ground? Your credentials and test results seem to be missing from your two posts on ATS.
On the other hand... from UN link...
Let me turn now to the handling and analysis of the materials that were collected by the Mission.
The samples were sent for analysis to four laboratories designated by the OPCW. The Mission’s factual findings are as follows.
(a)The environmental and biomedical samples demonstrate the widespread nature of the attacks. Eighty-five per cent of the blood samples tested positive for sarin. Biomedical samples were taken from 34 of the 36 patients selected by the Mission who had signs of poisoning. Almost all tested positive for exposure to sarin.
(b)These results were corroborated by the clinical assessments, which documented symptoms and signs consistent with nerve agent exposure. A number of affected patients were diagnosed with intoxification by an organophosphorous compound, and clearly showed symptoms associated with sarin, including loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, blurred vision, eye inflammation, vomiting and seizures.
(c)A majority of the environmental samples confirmed the use of sarin. The samples were taken from impact sites and surrounding areas – locations where survivors were also found to have been affected by sarin.
(d)The team was also able to examine impacted and exploded surface-to-surface rockets that are capable of carrying a chemical payload. These were carefully measured, photographed and sampled. A majority of the rockets or rocket fragments recovered were found to be carrying sarin.
Indeed samples were taken, ordnance was inspected by accredited labs. The results are in.
Except for what type of Sarin was used. Was it industrially manufactured? Or made in a garage? Considering it was sarin (easiest to produce), non standard military weapons were employed, and the casualties were mostly civilian, it leads to conclude without actual forensics here, that the insurgents were responsible.
Further that the rebels did it and blamed Assad while the UN team was in the capitol. Imagine that?
Further saddened this information from the UN is open ended without conclusive information about what type of Sarin or actual chart results or photographs. Truly censored.
Kashai
reply to post by intrptr
If in fact Sarin was used by the rebels why would Assad be prepared to surrender, his chemical weapons arsenal??
Kashai
reply to post by intrptr
If in fact Sarin was used by the rebels why would Assad be prepared to surrender, his chemical weapons arsenal?
I haven't read the forum rules, so I'll just move on.
In consideration if you want to suggest what potentially has influenced the Muslim uprising and its subsequent effect?
In all probability there will be a conflict between the US and Syria. This agreement over what Assad must do within a year is in principle impossible between the US and Russia.
doitalready
Kashai
reply to post by intrptr
If in fact Sarin was used by the rebels why would Assad be prepared to surrender, his chemical weapons arsenal??
I don't think he will. Being defenseless just invites democracy bombs.