Is Security Council turning a deaf ear on Syrian crisis?
Citing that real evidence showed that the Assad regime perpetrated a large-scale and indiscriminate attack against its own people using chemical weapons last month, the United States said that for the past two and a half years, the the UN Security Council failed to deal with threats of chemical weapons. They said The Security Council did not work as it was supposed to, particularly in the case of Syrian crisis.
In her remarks at the Security Council Stakeout on Syria in New York, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Samantha Power said the system devised in 1945 has not protected peace and security for the hundreds of Syrian children who were gassed to death on August 21.
“It is not protecting the stability of the region.” – Ms. Power
She says the Security Council is not standing behind an internationally accepted ban on the use of chemical weapons.
However, the system rather has protected the prerogatives of Russia, the patron of a regime that would brazenly stage the world’s largest chemical weapons attack in a quarter century – while chemical weapons inspectors sent by the United Nations were just across town.
Ms. Power Says Russia Holding Security Council Hostage
According to Ms. Power, even in the wake of the flagrant shattering of the international norm against chemical weapons use, Russia continues to hold the Council hostage and shirk its international responsibilities, including as a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
“What we have learned, what the Syrian people have learned is that the Security Council the world needs to deal with this crisis, is not the Security Council we have.” – Ms. Power
She stressed that, as the Secretary General himself has stressed, chemical weapons must “not become a tool of war or terror in the twenty-first century.”
Ms. Power highlighted it is in the US interest and the interest of all member states of the UN to respond decisively to this horrific attack.
Large-Scale Attack With Chemical Weapons
According to Ms. Power, as part of the United States’ ongoing consultations with international partners, allies, and the broader international community, the U.S. Mission hosted a series of briefings for Member States regarding the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime on August 21st.
She said today’s briefings presented our assessment regarding the events of August 21 in the suburbs of Damascus, which overwhelmingly point to one stark conclusion.
“The Assad regime perpetrated a large-scale and indiscriminate attack against its own people using chemical weapons.” – Ms. Power
Assad Regime Actions Morally Reprehensible
Ms. Power underlined that the appalling actions of the Assad regime are morally reprehensible and they violate clearly established international norms.
She says the use of chemical weapons is not America’s redline.
She reiterates that as President Obama said yesterday, “This is the world’s red line.” 189 countries, representing 98% of the world’s population, and all 15 members of the UN Security Council, agree that the use of chemical weapons is abhorrent and we have all collectively approved a treaty forbidding their use even when countries are engaged in war.
Is Syrian Regime Using Chemical Weapons?
In May, reports made headlines that there is growing evidence that Syrian government troops used chemical weapons.
The White House said that Syria had used the nerve agent sarin on “a small scale.”
However, Syrian officials slammed the allegations, saying the accusations are “lies.”
President Obama also indicated that if proven the Syrian government is using chemical weapons, it would be a “red line” for possible international intervention.
However, amid the numerous accusations, there is no confirmation yet that chemical weapons have been used during Syria’s two-year-old conflict during that time an investigation was launched.
