NEW YORK: The victims of chemical-weapon attacks in Syria were barely mentioned during a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Assad regime’s failure to comply with a resolution ordering the destruction of all such weapons.
As those victims were relegated to the sidelines, member states engaged in another, all-too familiar round of in-fighting as they traded accusations and vilified each other.
This was the 88th time the Security Council had gathered to discuss the issue of chemical weapons in Syria. Members were briefed by Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s under-secretary-general and high representative for disarmament affairs, on the implementation of Resolution 2118.
It was unanimously adopted in September 2013 following a UN investigation that confirmed the use of chemical weapons against civilians in a Damascus suburb the previous month. Images of people, including children, suffocating after breathing in the nerve agent caused outrage worldwide.
The resolution called on the Syrian regime to destroy its stockpiles of chemical weapons by mid-2014, and set out punitive measures in the event of non-compliance. It banned Syria from using, developing, producing, acquiring, stockpiling or retaining chemical weapons, or transferring them to other states or non-state actors.
In October 2013, Syria submitted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a formal initial declaration about its chemical-weapons program, including a plan for the destruction of its stockpiles.
Nakamitsu told the Security Council on Wednesday that, more than seven years later, the declaration “cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).”
“Gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies” have been identified that cast doubt on the true extent of the elimination of chemical weapons during the Civil War, she added.
While “some progress” has been made, resulting in the closure of three issues relating to the initial declaration, Nakamitsu said 19 issues remain outstanding as investigations continue into allegations of the use of chemical weapons in a “variety of incidents.”
One of those issues concerns a facility Syrian authorities said has never been used to produce chemical weapons. However information and evidence gathered by the OPCW since 2014 indicates that the production or weaponization of chemical warfare nerve agents did indeed take place there, Nakamitsu said. The organization ordered the Syrian government to disclose the types and quantities of chemical agents produced or weaponized at the site but it has yet to respond.
“I say this every month because it bears consistent repeating,” said Nakamitsu. “There is an urgent need to not only identify but hold accountable all those who have used chemical weapons in violation of international law. Without such an action, we are allowing the use of chemical weapons to take place with impunity.”
She also reminded council members of the need to heal geopolitical rifts and find common ground as a matter of priority.
“To address today’s roiling peace and security threats, we need to find a bridge back to common sense,” she said. “We need a united Security Council.”
Despite Nakamitsu’s plea, council members immediately displayed anything but unity.
Russia came to the defense of the Assad regime and attempted to discredit the OPCW report and its “unbelievable 19 issues.”
“This country is living (under a) Damocles’s sword of accusations of CWC noncompliance — this time in the form of outstanding issues of the initial declaration,” said Vassily Nebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN.
He warned member states that “squeezing Syria” could demotivate the regime in the country from cooperating with the OPCW, with whom he said it has acted as a “responsible partner … but the more concessions it makes, the more accusations it encounters.”
Nebenzya criticized the OPCW and what he called “the illegitimate nature” of its Investigation and Identification Team (IIT), then proceeded to highlight “other facts that our Western colleagues prefer keeping silent about.”
He accused Western delegations of blocking proposals by his country to investigate certain sites in Syria. Had these investigations taken place, he said, all of the council’s questions would have been answered.
The envoy also blamed “our Western colleagues” for never speaking up when the Syrian regime does something positive, and described their focus on the 19 outstanding issues relating to Syria’s initial declaration as “manifest slyness and a shift in emphasis.”
He accused the OPCW of bias and urged the Security Council to maintain its objectivity, saying: “We often hear urgent calls on Syria to ‘cooperate more.’ In response to that may we ask: what do you mean by ‘more?’ It seems that the only thing to meet these requirements would be Syria ‘acknowledging its guilt’ and publicly confessing to all deadly sins.”
He added: “What will be the point for Damascus to continue cooperating with the organization? After all, what is your goal: to ‘crush’ Syria as you did with Iraq on far-fetched pretexts, or ensure that Syrian soil is free of chemical weapons?”
Richard Mills, the acting US ambassador to the UN, said: “The Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against the Syrian people, and then subsequently sought to avoid accountability by obstructing independent investigations and undermining both the responsibility and work of the OPCW.”
He accused Russia of shielding the Assad regime by “spreading disinformation, attacking the professional work of the OPCW, and otherwise seeking to undermine efforts by responsible nations to hold the Assad regime accountable for its use of chemical weapons.”
The US and 45 co-sponsors have submitted a draft decision to the OPCW’s Conference of the States Parties in response to the Syrian regime’s failure to comply with measures requested by the OPCW Executive Council, demanding that the regime take action to address the situation.
“Unsurprisingly, Syria failed to complete any of the measures set forth in the decision,” said Mills, who called on the Conference of States Parties to take appropriate action when it reconvenes in the spring “so that we send a strong message to the Assad regime and its supporters that the use of chemical weapons in direct contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention has consequences.”
Victims ignored amid UN bickering about chemical weapons in Syria
https://arab.news/46ryn
Victims ignored amid UN bickering about chemical weapons in Syria
- Disarmament chief calls for unity among Security Council members so those who use such weapons are held accountable
- Despite Izumi Nakamitsu’s plea for ‘a bridge back to common sense,’ members continue to point fingers and blame each other
Aoun urges UNHCR chief to organize the return of Syrian refugees
- Joseph Aoun said that Lebanon ‘wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist’
- Filippo Grandi: Return of refugees ‘must be accompanied by financial support and respect for rights to prevent displacement again’
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the UNHCR’s commissioner, Filippo Grandi, to “start organizing return convoys for the displaced Syrians in Lebanon.”
Aoun said Lebanon “can no longer support the burden resulting from their presence at different levels.”
He called on the international community to provide material and humanitarian support to achieve the return of displaced Syrians.
Some countries have already started their support, he added.
Grandi visited Aoun at the Presidential Palace to congratulate him on his election.
During the meeting, the president affirmed that Lebanon “wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist.”
Aoun, who also met with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, tackled the infiltration of several Syrians into Lebanon following the developments in the neighboring country.
He emphasized “the importance of working to stop infiltration on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border.”
Citing UNHCR estimations, Grandi said that more than 200,000 displaced Syrians had returned to their country from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and other countries since the fall of the former Syrian regime on Dec. 8.
Many others also wish to return home, he added.
He added that a survey conducted by the UNHCR showed that the number of those wishing to return had increased from about 1 percent to 30 percent in a matter of weeks.
Grandi affirmed that the UNHCR was “supporting those who returned and that we have already started doing so.”
He said the UNHCR’s relationship with the new authorities across Syria was constructive, and they had started prioritizing the issue.
Grandi said UNHCR wanted to work with Lebanon to build a practical way to support the return of Syrians.
To achieve this, the president can play a vital role with the international community, he added.
After the meeting Grandi explained that his visits to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Turkiye aim to “discuss the issue of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of recent political changes in Syria.
“We believe that these changes may allow refugees to return to their home country and leave their host nations, including Lebanon, which has hosted them with great generosity and patience for nearly 14 years.”
He added: “During the most recent war in Lebanon, between September and October, over 450,000 Syrian refugees returned to Syria.
“We believe that, with the return of this significant number of Syrian refugees, sustained support is crucial to ensure their permanent return.
“Therefore, we began implementing a program designed to support returnees from different countries by offering material assistance and other means of support.
“Material support is essential, as well as efforts to restore life in the areas where refugees are resettling,” he said.
“Otherwise, they will leave again, most probably to their host countries.
“It is important to note that the new Syrian authorities have welcomed the Syrian refugees back, which is a positive sign,” Grandi said.
“However, the new authorities must stay on course — respecting minorities, preserving the rights of all citizens, and lifting Syria to new horizons that rebuild trust among Syrians, including returning refugees,” he added.
Grandi held talks as Lebanese military authorities prepared for the withdrawal of Israeli forces following their incursion into southern Lebanon since Oct. 1. The 60-day stage of the ceasefire deal is set to expire at dawn on Sunday.
In a meeting with acting Lebanese Army Commander Maj.-Gen. Hassan Odeh, caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim underlined Lebanon’s “firm commitment to the withdrawal of the Israeli forces within the agreed deadline in the ceasefire agreement.”
Slim’s office stated that the discussion focused on the deployment of the Lebanese Army in all the areas from which the Israeli forces would withdraw.
Slim said the army was ready to be deployed in throughout the region.
The Lebanese Army entered the border town of Kafr Shuba in the eastern sector.
Units had been stationed on the outskirts of the town, facing Al-Sammaqa, an Israeli military site.
Other units have been deployed in Hanin, where Civil Defense teams recovered the bodies of several Hezbollah fighters.
Also on Saturday, the Israeli military destroyed rest facilities on the banks of the Wazzani River, and eight houses in the town of Taybeh were deliberately burned.
Video footage was taken by dozens of residents returning to their villages after the Lebanese Army deployed there, showing the extent of the destruction of property and facilities, especially in the town of Khiyam.
The Israeli military claimed that “forces of the 810th Brigade, operating under the command of the 210th Division, found and seized a large number of weapons in the Shebaa Farms, including anti-tank launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns, binoculars, and rockets aimed at Israeli territory.”
In a statement, the Israeli military said that “the forces of the 7th Brigade, operating under the command of the 91st Division, are continuing their activities in southern Lebanon to protect Israel's security.”
It claimed that “they are operating under the understandings reached between Israel and Lebanon while maintaining compliance with the conditions of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, claimed that talks were being held with the administration of President Donald Trump to extend the withdrawal date from Lebanon scheduled for next Sunday.
The Trump administration is pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with the scheduled date on Sunday, the Israeli Army Radio reported.
Saudi Arabia optimistic about Lebanon’s future, FM says after meeting President Aoun
- Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address”
BEIRUT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has congratulated Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his election as president on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Following his meeting with Aoun at the Presidential Palace, which lasted about half an hour, Prince Faisal said that they discussed “developments in the region; I conveyed to him the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon and its brotherly people in all fields.”
He emphasized “the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon and the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.”
Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address.”
He added: “We have great confidence in the president and the prime minister-designate to implement the required reforms in Lebanon, which will enhance the world’s confidence in Lebanon and contribute to stabilizing the political and economic situation in the country.
“We are optimistic that Lebanese leaders will seize the opportunity and work earnestly for Lebanon.”
The Kingdom, Prince Faisal said, “will continue to provide full support to Lebanon to achieve stability and development in various fields.”
He stressed the “necessity of continuous coordination between the two countries to achieve their shared goals.”
His visit marked a turning point in years of strained relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
The tension was caused by Hezbollah’s dominance over Lebanon’s political decisions over the past years, and the use of illegal crossings for drug smuggling, particularly Captagon, to Gulf states.
The Saudi minister emphasized from Davos that the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s president was a “very positive development.”
Prince Faisal welcomed the “formation of the government,” but emphasized the need for “real reforms and a forward-looking approach to ensure sustainable progress.”
He also reiterated that “the future of Lebanon rests in the hands of its people to make decisions that steer the country in a new direction.”
Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, expressed hope for “the formation of the new government in Lebanon, allowing it to focus on accomplishing its awaited tasks, which would foster stability and ensure the flow of aid for Lebanon’s reconstruction.”
He highlighted “the Gulf’s interest in Lebanon, illustrated by the visits of the Saudi and Kuwaiti ministers of foreign affairs, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, to Beirut.
“I believe Israel will withdraw from the territories it recently occupied in southern Lebanon. The international ceasefire monitoring committee is fulfilling its role, with the US and France supporting this outcome.”
The ambassador also said that “Gulf nationals, including Qataris, are expected to return to Lebanon for the summer season.”
Meanwhile, Emirati businessman Khalaf Al-Habtoor said that he plans to invest in a “large and ambitious project in Lebanon once the new government is formed. The project has a vision to contribute to the economic renaissance and provide thousands of jobs, to be a real addition to support the Lebanese economy and restore confidence in it.”
However, Al-Habtoor stressed that any new investment would be contingent on the formation of a properly constituted government.
“The new government must be free of subordination and quotas, and it must not include those who ruined Lebanon, caused the collapse of the economy and instigated its wars,” he said.
“This phase requires trustworthy leaders and a Cabinet of experienced and qualified individuals who are committed to prioritizing Lebanon’s interests. Security and stability are the foundation of any recovery, and these can only be achieved through a strong and independent government capable of restoring the confidence of Lebanese, Arab and international investors.”
Al-Habtoor also cautioned that “any leniency in the formation process or acceptance of subordination will only lead to the continuation of the crisis and will close the doors of investment and renaissance to Lebanon and its people.”
Iraqi amnesty law could free prisoners convicted of attacking US troops
- Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law
- Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi parliament has passed an amnesty law that could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners, including Iraqis convicted of attacks on US soldiers and people who fought for Islamic State, lawmakers said on Thursday.
A copy of the law seen by Reuters shows that those found guilty of terrorism leading to murder or disability, manslaughter, vandalising government institutions, and recruiting for or joining terrorist organizations can request a retrial if they allege a confession was extracted under duress.
Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law.
Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law as many of those in prison on such charges are Sunni Muslims, with most convicted of membership of Al Qaeda and Islamic State and carrying out attacks against Iraqi forces and civilians, mostly between 2004 and 2018.
Sunni lawmakers estimate that at least 30,000 Sunni prisoners will have the chance for a retrial.
Judicial sources say around 700 members of Shiite militias are also in prison convicted of terrorism, having been arrested by US forces between 2004 and 2008, for attacks on US soldiers.
Abul Karim Al-Mohammedawi, the Shiite head of parliament’s security and defense committee, said the top priority of the law should be releasing detainees who fought American forces in Iraq because “they are heroes and should be rewarded for their sacrifices, not left behind bars for the crime of defending their country.”
Sunni lawmaker Raad Al-Dahlaki said: “This law will not lead to the immediate release of prisoners. We, the Sunni bloc in parliament, demanded the retrial and review of all the prisoners’ investigations, and the courts will decide their fate.”
The law applies to all convicted Iraqis and those accused of crimes still under investigation or on trial. It also allows for the review of death sentences.
Government officials and judicial sources say the new law will alleviate pressure on overcrowded prisons, which currently house around 67,000 prisoners, far exceeding their capacity of 25,000.
Tuesday’s session also passed an amendment to the Iraqi personal status law, which was submitted by the majority Shiite blocs in parliament, that would allow Iraqi Muslims to choose either Sunni or Shi’ite sharia laws for personal status matters, instead of one standard regardless of sect or religion.
Critics say amendments that allow sect-based jurisprudence to govern personal matters, such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, could institutionalize legal divisions between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis, further entrenching sectarian divides.
“This amendment could change the social fabric of the country at a time when sectarian tensions run high and stability remains precarious”, said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The parliament also approved a law, which was pressed by the Kurds, allowing the return of farmlands confiscated before 2003 to their original owners, mainly Kurds.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli military campaign in Jenin
- Governor of Jenin says Israeli forces cut off electricity
LONDON: The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday condemned the Israeli military campaign in the city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank.
Sufian Al-Qudah, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that Jordan opposed and condemned the aggression of Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, which violated international humanitarian law.
He urged the international community to act to compel Israel to halt the escalation in action in the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The Governor of Jenin Kamal Abu Al-Rub told WAFA News Agency that Israeli forces had cut off electricity to the Jenin camp and surrounding areas on Thursday. This had resulted in a power outage at the Jenin Government and Ibn Sina hospitals.
The Israeli operation, which was launched just after a ceasefire in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities.
WEF panel discusses crises beyond Gaza, Ukraine, questions the ‘crisis of crisis management’
- WEF draws attention to world’s flashpoints
DUBAI: More than 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2025, according to the Global Humanitarian Overview.
The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have dominated international attention, while other crises — such as those in Sudan, Myanmar and Venezuela — continue to affect millions.
The World Economic Forum in Davos drew attention to these crises, bringing together Comfort Ero, the president and CEO of International Crisis Group; Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF; and Ricardo Hausmann, founder and director of the Growth Lab at Harvard University. The panel they attended was titled “Crises Beneath the Headlines” and moderated by Ishaan Tharoor, the foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post.
Ero said that it was the first time in the group’s 30 years of operations where its work was dominated by “big power rivalry and major power competition,” which “infects” and influences many conflicts.
Although there are fewer conflicts, particularly in Africa, it does not mean there are not any conflicts, she added.
Ero said: “I do not necessarily think that these conflicts are off the radar; they have been deprioritized because of the bandwidth and the capacity, and because there’s just an inordinate amount of conflicts on the rise at the same time.”
Russell said that UNICEF, too, was struggling to respond to the sheer number and scale of crises.
She said: “We estimate that more than 213 million children live in 146 countries and territories and will need humanitarian assistance. The numbers are just overwhelming.”
Crises in Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria are also on UNICEF’s agenda, but the organization faces funding issues with 50 percent of the humanitarian funding it receives going to only five emergencies, Russell said.
She spoke about the massive numbers of children affected in Haiti and Sudan.
Some 700,000 people, including 365,000 children, are displaced because of violence perpetrated by armed gangs, and 6 million people need humanitarian assistance, with serious food insecurity an added issue in Haiti.
In Sudan, 19 million children are school-aged and 17 million of them are out of school and have been for more than a year.
While Syria has had a recent moment of triumph, its infrastructure has completely collapsed and millions of children are out of school and living in areas with landmines, which have become a leading cause of death and injury, she added.
“Attention draws resources, and so not having a lot of attention (drawn to these issues) is a problem,” Russell said.
Latin America is not free of issues either, with Venezuela being in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Nicolas Maduro, its president, remaining in office despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside, and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture.
Hausmann described the country’s downfall as “poetic in some dark sense.”
Despite Venezuela sitting on top of the largest oil reserves in the world, its gross domestic product has collapsed by 75 percent — “that’s three Great Depressions” — and 8 million people have left the country, he said.
Hausmann added that “Venezuela’s biggest obstacle is the government,” which has become an “international criminal organization” involved in “narco trafficking, money laundering, (and) the finance of terrorism.”
He said: “We have a situation where you have a government that has a deep internal sense of illegitimacy, and in the process of trying to survive it has destroyed the legitimacy of all other organizations (such as) the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, the attorney general, the army, etc.”
Looking to the future, he said, Venezuela was receiving mixed messages from the US with some people, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, “showing a willingness to be helpful in re-establishing democratic order,” while others, like Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, were “more or less normalizing Maduro.”
Tharoor asked the panel how the work of international groups had been affected at a time when countries were shaping their messaging for a “Trumpist world” and becoming more “nation-first.”
Ero said that we “can’t divorce ourselves” from the nation-first approach or from “national interest.”
But, she added: “There is a serious question mark about the crisis of the crisis management system itself, where it’s very hard now to see who the key mediators are that have the influence and leverage to change the dynamics in a country like Sudan. We are in a crisis of peacemaking.”
Organizations like UNICEF and other humanitarian aid agencies are doing what they can but Russell described them as a “band-aid” that arrives due to political failures.
She said: “We save millions and millions of lives, but we’re not the answer. The answer is to stop the conflict in the first place. We have no power to do that, and so we are at the mercy of this really dysfunctional political system.”
She added that the countries that make up the UN Security Council “have to come together and decide that they’re going to put their own interests aside, hopefully, and try to look out for what’s best for their countries and their regions and the world at large.”
