Serpo
22nd June 2013, 06:50 PM
Militants in Syria fabricated chemical weapons evidence: Report
Sat Jun 22, 2013 2:5AM
8
8
http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20130621/gholami20130621221051533.jpg
The militants fighting against Syrian government forces possibly fabricated the evidence that Damascus had used chemical weapons against militant groups, an expert said.
Rolf Ekeus, a Swedish scientist who headed up U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq during the 1990s, said the United States gave the militants the pretext to fabricate evidence by saying that Washington’s “red line” is the use of chemical weapons, The Washington Post reported.
“If you are the opposition and you hear” that the White House has drawn a red line on the use of nerve agents, then “you have an interest in giving the impression that some chemical weapons have been used,” Ekeus said.
The White House said in a statement earlier this month that the U.S. intelligence community estimates that up to 150 people were killed from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
According to the statement, Syria used sarin on a small scale against the militants several times. Damascus has strongly rejected the accusations.
“The White House published a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information, through which it is trying to hold the Syrian government responsible for such use,” Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
An American activist told Press TV’s U.S. Desk that Washington will fabricate any story to put more pressure on the Syrian government.
“The United States and Great Britain, they’ll make up any story they want,” CODEPINK activist Tighe Barry said.
Citing the use of depleted uranium and phosphorus bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, Barry said, “The United States has shown that it is not a fair player in making judgments around the world.”
The chemical weapons accusation has had many worried that the United States is preparing a scenario like it did in the run-up to the Iraq war. The U.S. had accused Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction but has failed to produce any evidence to support the claim.
Barry said, “Whatever the United States and Great Britain say shouldn’t be the end-all. We should have an independent investigation through the UN or through other organizations such as Amnesty or Human Rights Watch or other organizations... to examine what is the truth behind these before we jump to conclusions and condemn one country or one group.”
Meanwhile, Paulo Pinheiro, the head of a UN human rights investigation on Syria, said it was still impossible to tell for sure who has used chemical arms.
Pinheiro said he would not comment on evidence sent by the U.S., Britain and France to UN experts which they claim Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have used chemical arms.
"We are not able to say who has used chemical agents or chemical weapons and we are very much worried about the chain of custody of the substances," Pinheiro said.
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/310198.html
UN rejects US claim on Syria chemical weapons
http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20130621/mazimi20130621213212277.jpgPaulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN human rights investigation committee on Syria
Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:36PM
UN experts say they do not confirm the claims by the United States, France and Britain that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants.
"We are not able to say who has used chemical agents or chemical weapons,” said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the United Nations human rights investigation committee on Syria, on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after an informal meeting with UN Security Council ambassadors, Pinheiro said he would not comment on evidence, including multiple blood, tissue and soil samples, that the US, Britain and France have sent to the UN about the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria.
The technical data presented by the three countries is of limited value to the UN which, according to its rules, can pass a final judgment on the situation only after its own inspectors personally collect evidence.
Based on the unsubstantiated claim that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants, President Barack Obama ordered the CIA last week to provide arms to the anti-Syrian groups, saying the government of President Bashar al-Assad had crossed Washington’s red lines.
In an article on the Washington Post on Friday, Colum Lynch and Joby Warrick write that the US move “rests on unverifiable claims” that lack transparency.
Weapons experts say Obama’s declaration of Washington’s red line in terms of more involvement in Syria “handed the Syrian opposition a powerful incentive to fabricate evidence” against the Assad government regarding the chemical arms use, the article said.
“If you are the opposition and you hear” that the White House has drawn a red line on the use of nerve agents, then “you have an interest in giving the impression that some chemical weapons have been used,” said Rolf Ekeus, a Swedish scientist who headed UN weapons inspections in Iraq during the 1990s, the article read.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/21/310199/un-rejects-us-claim-on-syria-cw/
Sat Jun 22, 2013 2:5AM
8
8
http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20130621/gholami20130621221051533.jpg
The militants fighting against Syrian government forces possibly fabricated the evidence that Damascus had used chemical weapons against militant groups, an expert said.
Rolf Ekeus, a Swedish scientist who headed up U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq during the 1990s, said the United States gave the militants the pretext to fabricate evidence by saying that Washington’s “red line” is the use of chemical weapons, The Washington Post reported.
“If you are the opposition and you hear” that the White House has drawn a red line on the use of nerve agents, then “you have an interest in giving the impression that some chemical weapons have been used,” Ekeus said.
The White House said in a statement earlier this month that the U.S. intelligence community estimates that up to 150 people were killed from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
According to the statement, Syria used sarin on a small scale against the militants several times. Damascus has strongly rejected the accusations.
“The White House published a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information, through which it is trying to hold the Syrian government responsible for such use,” Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
An American activist told Press TV’s U.S. Desk that Washington will fabricate any story to put more pressure on the Syrian government.
“The United States and Great Britain, they’ll make up any story they want,” CODEPINK activist Tighe Barry said.
Citing the use of depleted uranium and phosphorus bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, Barry said, “The United States has shown that it is not a fair player in making judgments around the world.”
The chemical weapons accusation has had many worried that the United States is preparing a scenario like it did in the run-up to the Iraq war. The U.S. had accused Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction but has failed to produce any evidence to support the claim.
Barry said, “Whatever the United States and Great Britain say shouldn’t be the end-all. We should have an independent investigation through the UN or through other organizations such as Amnesty or Human Rights Watch or other organizations... to examine what is the truth behind these before we jump to conclusions and condemn one country or one group.”
Meanwhile, Paulo Pinheiro, the head of a UN human rights investigation on Syria, said it was still impossible to tell for sure who has used chemical arms.
Pinheiro said he would not comment on evidence sent by the U.S., Britain and France to UN experts which they claim Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have used chemical arms.
"We are not able to say who has used chemical agents or chemical weapons and we are very much worried about the chain of custody of the substances," Pinheiro said.
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/310198.html
UN rejects US claim on Syria chemical weapons
http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20130621/mazimi20130621213212277.jpgPaulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN human rights investigation committee on Syria
Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:36PM
UN experts say they do not confirm the claims by the United States, France and Britain that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants.
"We are not able to say who has used chemical agents or chemical weapons,” said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the United Nations human rights investigation committee on Syria, on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after an informal meeting with UN Security Council ambassadors, Pinheiro said he would not comment on evidence, including multiple blood, tissue and soil samples, that the US, Britain and France have sent to the UN about the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria.
The technical data presented by the three countries is of limited value to the UN which, according to its rules, can pass a final judgment on the situation only after its own inspectors personally collect evidence.
Based on the unsubstantiated claim that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants, President Barack Obama ordered the CIA last week to provide arms to the anti-Syrian groups, saying the government of President Bashar al-Assad had crossed Washington’s red lines.
In an article on the Washington Post on Friday, Colum Lynch and Joby Warrick write that the US move “rests on unverifiable claims” that lack transparency.
Weapons experts say Obama’s declaration of Washington’s red line in terms of more involvement in Syria “handed the Syrian opposition a powerful incentive to fabricate evidence” against the Assad government regarding the chemical arms use, the article said.
“If you are the opposition and you hear” that the White House has drawn a red line on the use of nerve agents, then “you have an interest in giving the impression that some chemical weapons have been used,” said Rolf Ekeus, a Swedish scientist who headed UN weapons inspections in Iraq during the 1990s, the article read.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/21/310199/un-rejects-us-claim-on-syria-cw/