UN Report Says Chemical Arms Used in Syria Monday Sep 16,2013

There is “clear and convincing evidence” that chemical weapons were used in the August 21,2013 attack in Syria, UN inspectors said in their report on Monday Sep 16,2013

“The conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale,” said the report, which was submitted to the UN Security Council in New York.

The report said surface-to-air rockets containing the nerve gas sarin were used in Ein Tarma, Moadamiyan and Zamalka in the Ghouta area of Damascus.

 The Report does not say which parties in the conflict used the weapons

  
Professor Ake Sellstrom (L), head of the chemical weapons team working in Syria, hands over the report on the 21 August 2013 Al-Ghouta massacre to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on September 15, 2013

UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon said -
 "The United Nations mission has now confirmed, unequivocally and objectively, that chemical weapons have been used in Syria.
"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.
"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."


Note

The Report's publication came as the United States, France and Britain were demanding a strong UN resolution to implement a U.S.-Russian accord on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons

UN inspectors visited Syria last month to investigate the August attack on two Damascus suburbs, which the Syrian opposition and the United States say killed more than 1,400 people

                                         UN Chemical Weapons Inspectors Collecting Samples

The regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels have since blamed each other for the attacks.