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The war against Syria

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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:31 am

Robin Hood wrote:Paphitis:
Oh well.

gee whiz, all these Coalition strikes and not a single thing from the Russians.

Report them to the ICJ! :lol:


Shhhhhhh ...... listen to Putin ..... no threats, no bravado, no glowing sit-reps. no comments on the US/NATO actions ..... as he plays his cards close to his chest. YOU shout your mouth off!!! :roll:

Like a Mamba, you will hear nothing until he strikes ..... then it will be too late and all YOU will be able to do is run for it and shout foul. We will see how humorous you find the situation when the first coalition jet gets shot out of the sky for being where it should not be, after being warned. :shock: :(


We will be listening to his lapdog in due course once we have him in the dock at the Hague.

Don't ever think we won't get him. it's inevitable because we always get our man.

As for pootin, I think he will be keeping a low profile for the time being.
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Robin Hood » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:46 am

Paphitis wrote:
Robin Hood wrote:Paphitis:

Contrast this to the torture, the rape of women from Hezbollah thugs, the summary executions of the Assad Regime and the prison camps.

it's all on show for the world to see.


Where on earth do you get this rubbish from? How about a link to a reasonably reliable source ? :roll: :lol: :lol:


You know very well what i am talking about. Stop pretending you don't.

We have 10,000 pages worth of evidence with all these crimes, and even photos of torture and the document was an official Syrian "government" Document.


You are referring to the 20,000 photos given to the US by 'Caesar'?

He claimed to be a photographer employed by the Assad military to photograph all Assad's 'torture victims' ? He had to use a code name to protect himself from being identified ...... FFS how many military photographers does Assad have, who have fled the country taking the 'evidence' with them?

He was a fake and it later transpired that the vast majority of the photos were from hospital records, that the government retained, of unidentified victims so that relatives would be able to later identify and find out what happened to their missing family members and relatives. Many had the Government Hospital stamp on them, a date, a location and other relevant information. Most photos showed people that had died from battle wounds, many bodies were already decomposing and there were photos of torture victims dumped by YOUR moderate terrorists!

Try to get your facts right before posting propaganda rubbish! :roll: :x

Added at 11.53: Just to balance your rubbish ....... a more pragmatic and reasoned view:

http://acloserlookonsyria.shoutwiki.com ... 2Caesar%22
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:58 am

Not as far as the United Nations are concerned!

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies ... RP1_en.pdf

Evidence based on 621 interviews and the evidence provided by CAESAR!

Its over RH! it's over!

We have documented evidence of these war crimes, and Hollande has already filed with the ICJ making Assad a wanted man.

Cue for more links from Sputnik....
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:18 am

From the UNHRC Report released in February 2016

Legal Findings and Conclusions

83. Many parties to the Syrian conflict have committed serious violations of the rights
of detainees, including the right to life. Further crimes and violations have ensued in the
context of arrests, imprisonment and other forms of deprivation of liberty. Based on the
findings in this report, the commission makes the following legal conclusions:
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic
Human rights violations
84. In their treatment of detainees, the conduct of Government forces amounts to
violations of the right to life through the commission of or failure to prevent killings,
summary executions, and implementation of the death penalty without a fair trial. The
Government has furthermore violated the right to life by failing to conduct independent,
comprehensive and transparent investigations of each individual death in State custody.
85. Government forces and agencies in control of detention facilities are responsible for
torture, degrading and inhuman treatment including rape and other forms of sexual
violence.
86. Detainees in State custody were subjected to arbitrary or unlawful detention as they
were held for prolonged periods without access to a lawyer or afforded the opportunity to
legally challenge the bases of their detention. Other detentions of civilians were rendered
arbitrary or unlawful as their main purpose appears to have been to punish or obtain
information through the use of torture. Information obtained from detainees under duress,
including during the use of torture or threats of rape or other violence against family
members, was frequently used as grounds for the arrest and detention of others, in violation
of international human rights law.
Violations of international humanitarian law
87. When committed after the start of the non-international armed conflict, the
violations above constitute breaches of applicable international humanitarian law, including
Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits murder, summary
executions, mutilation, torture, rape, outrages upon personal dignity and other inhuman
treatment.
International criminal law
88. Through its widespread conduct of mass arrests, arbitrary arrests and enforced
disappearance, victimising the general civilian population living in restive areas and
persons otherwise perceived to be in opposition to the Government, and the ensuing ill
treatment and killing of those detained, Government forces have engaged in the multiple
commissions of crimes, amounting to a systematic and widespread attack against a civilian
population. In the context of the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, the number of
civilians targeted with arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance and subsequent
violations, in contravention of international humanitarian law and without any lawful
military justification, suggests that the civilian population as such is the primary object of
that attack.
89. The acts were committed in pursuance of a policy to target civilians broadly
perceived as associated with the opposition, evidenced by the systematic occurrence of
crimes across geographic areas. The existence of a State policy is further demonstrated by
the fact that significant State resources were employed in the commission of the crimes and
the way in which numerous State institutions throughout the country actively participated
and coordinated operations at various levels of the sequential conduct, during which
custodial deaths and other crimes occurred. Military and civilian courts consistently failed
to order investigations into cases where detainees appearing before a judge were visibly illtreated,
sometimes displaying severe injuries, and in cases of deaths in custody.
90. The role of State institutions, namely the intelligence agencies and armed forces, and
their leadership in actively executing mass arrests, transfers of detainees, their ill treatment
and torture, and subsequent issuance of death certificates to misrepresent the circumstances
of death in an effort to conceal detainee abuse, demonstrate the existence of State policy
and commonality of criminal purpose.
91. Guards of each detention facility were often made aware of prisoners in critically ill
health, yet mostly failed to provide or request medical assistance. Guards removed the
bodies of deceased prisoners from the cells on a regular basis, and deaths were reported to
the Head of the branch. This demonstrates that staff and commanders were aware of the
numbers of deaths caused by the prison conditions inflicted on the prison population.
92. Prison conditions were largely consistent over the course of four and a half years
across multiple detention facilities, and were allowed to continue without superiors taking
effective action to prevent their consequences. The high number of killings, as well as other
deaths occurring in the ordinary course of events following torture, poor prison conditions
or from medical neglect, must also have been known to those exercising effective control
and responsibility over the detention facilities. However, between 2011 and 2015, the
treatment of detainees and prison conditions remained unchanged in most detention
facilities, and in some cases have worsened since the beginning of the Syrian uprising,
causing more detainees to die.
93. Information suggests that deaths of detainees were meticulously reported up the
chain of command in several detention facilities of intelligence directorates, and that the
superiors of the detention facilities and intelligence directorates were aware of the deaths
occurring. Information on those that died was also conveyed to the Military Police, who
sometimes informed families. Information also suggests that rather than surrendering the
bodies of the dead to their families, detainees were buried anonymously in mass graves.
94. A centralised system is in place to register deaths of detainees in Governmentcontrolled
detention facilities, with deaths being regularly reported in from security
directorates to the Military Police corps of the Syrian Army. As the custodian of this
information, the Military Police has made partial information on deaths available to some
families of the victims. As a result, deaths occurring in prisons have become widely known
in Syria, and owing to the circumstances of the on-going conflict and widespread
allegations, must have been known among military superiors at the highest levels.
95. Civilian superiors, similarly, have knowledge of the crimes being committed by
their subordinates or, at the very least, were aware of credible allegations of such crimes,
both in the military hierarchy and the civilian leadership of relevant institutions, or have
consciously disregarded such information.
96. The killings and deaths described in this report occurred with high frequency, over a
long period of time and in multiple locations, with significant logistical support involving
vast State resources. They occurred with the knowledge of prison personnel and their
superiors, as well as that of high-ranking State officials in central military hospitals and the
Military Police corps of the Syrian armed forces.
97. Given the above, it is apparent that the Government authorities administering
prisons and detention centres were aware that deaths on a massive scale were occurring.
The accumulated custodial deaths were brought about by inflicting life conditions in a
calculated awareness that such conditions would cause mass deaths of detainees in the
ordinary course of events, and occurred in the pursuance of a State policy to attack a
civilian population.9 There are reasonable grounds to believe that the conduct described
amounts to extermination as a crime against humanity.
98. The commission further finds that the Government is responsible for the crimes
against humanity of murder, rape or other forms of sexual violence, torture, imprisonment
or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of
international law, enforced disappearance and other inhuman acts.
99. The commission’s factual findings further provide reasonable grounds to believe
that, in relation to relevant conduct occurring after the start of the armed conflict, the
Government has committed the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, rape, sexual
violence, and outrages upon personal dignity.

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies ... RP1_en.pdf
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Robin Hood » Fri Oct 21, 2016 3:03 pm

Paphitis wrote:Not as far as the United Nations are concerned!

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies ... RP1_en.pdf

Evidence based on 621 interviews and the evidence provided by CAESAR!

Its over RH! it's over!

We have documented evidence of these war crimes, and Hollande has already filed with the ICJ making Assad a wanted man.

Cue for more links from Sputnik....


Well .... at least you are beginning to get the idea of links to credible sources! That's a breakthrough.

The 'Caesar' photos have been pretty well proved to be not what they claim, so really not much good as evidence. The 621 interviews were conducted with those that had been incarcerated at some detention facility or another ..... these are likely to be just a bit biased and suspect. These detainees are hardly going to get released and give these places a Five Star Rating for accommodation, comfort and quality of food, are they. :roll:

So the 'evidence' would need to be investigated in some depth. After all, if they interviewed a 1000 people with your bias ..... you needn't bother with a defence! But if you interviewed 1000 people with my bias, you would release him and throw the case out-of-Court. What you have in the UN document is a paper produced by people like your wife or any other academic, where they get their information from reading reports in the media, videos on social media and photographs from the same source. They have never actually been to the region where these events took place and have never spoken to others, who maybe have something to add of relevance.

So not quite so cut-and-dried as you would like it to be. All Assad's defence have to do is show that just a handful of the 621 are lying and the case falls apart.

Be sensible ..... the case against Bush, Blair, Straw, Powell, Cheney and Rice etc. for the second gulf war on Iraq is conclusive (I don't think you could argue otherwise?); their authorisation of the use chemical weapons (Depl. Uranium, white phosphorous etc) and acting illegally, as their actions had no UN mandate are also unarguable and were war crimes. Crimes that have subsequently been responsible for the deaths of millions and the displacement of further millions. And yet not one of them has ever been charged with a war crime or even a crime against humanity.

Personally; I think they should stick to trying to nail Assad, rather than a general paper on such atrocities in the region in general by all those involved. This only confuses the issue as we have all seen the head chopping, throat cutting and liver eating videos proudly released by your terrorists. That is not a State Crime, what your UN report should be addressing exclusively is war crimes that were as a result of the Syrian States policies. Now, if you apply that description ..... then most of the US/NATO/Australian/coalition leaders will find themselves in the dock alongside Assad. They do not have a mandate. Simple as that! Their actions are therefore contrary to International Law and many are crimes against humanity and some are war crimes.

Claims that you are an 'exceptional and indispensable nation' ...... cut no ice! The law is the law and applies to all .... no exception, to believe otherwise is sheer arrogance. :roll:
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Sat Oct 22, 2016 1:12 am

Oh dear! you're the one with the audacity to even mention credible links and then make unfounded accusations that our rebels (which you call terrorists) are head choppers.

Where? When? And How? Where's your credible evidence?

All my links are from credible sources unlike your good self.

Last night, the United nations released a paper blaming Assad for the Chemical attacks (Sarin) in Ghouda and also accusing assad of being in contravention to the resolutions where he must divulge his entire chemical Arsenal to the OPCW and this resolution has Russia's signature on it because pootin was kissing America's arse to not commence Air Strikes against the regime and brokered this deal in the background. A deal the Americans accepted.

however, since then, assad has used 4 other Chemical Agents aside from Sarin gas in 2013.

The resolution also states that any contravention will be met with International Intervention - Coalition Air strikes against the regime.

The report is either out from last night or will be released today and it will be my pleasure to rub your dirty nose in some more shit!

Simply put, we have the mechanisms to commence air strikes against the regime, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Meanwhile, you can also feast your eyes on the reports issued in February and June 2016.

http://www.gcint.org/wp-content/uploads ... 021216.pdf

http://www.gcint.org/wp-content/uploads ... 021216.pdf

And from the United Nations.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54795

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54752

Next OPCW report due out now.
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Sat Oct 22, 2016 1:18 am

simply put, the Coalition has a mandate to commence air strikes against the regime.

We can start from tomorrow if we want.

god help you when our Hillary Clinton wins office, because its all on the table.

We attacked Saddam Hussein for alleged Chemical stockpiles. we will attack Assad for the same thing, only difference is, we know 100% for sure that Assad has the weapons we allege.

And even if Assad manages to destroy the stockpile in time so that he can deny our allegations, we will still press in order to bring him to justice for the war crimes he has committed.

Don't ever think we are afraid of Pootin or Russia. The Alexei Kuznetsov sailing down the English Channel and the accompanying ships are all old, and the Kuznetsov appears to have a lot of engine problems judging by the smoke coming from its smoke stack.

Your 1970s technologies will meet our USN 6th fleet!

Pootin's poodle is on borrowed time I'm afraid.
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Sat Oct 22, 2016 4:06 am

UN Resolution 2118

http://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sc11135.doc.htm

Deeply outraged by the use of chemical weapons on 21 August in a Damascus suburb, as concluded by a United Nations investigation team, the Security Council this evening endorsed the expeditious destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, with inspections to begin by 1 October, and agreed that in the event of non-compliance, it would impose “Chapter VII” measures.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2118 (2013) in a fast-breaking evening meeting, the Council determined that the use of chemical weapons anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security, and called for the full implementation of the 27 September decision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which contains special procedures for the expeditious and verifiable destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

Specifically, the Council prohibited Syria from using, developing, producing, otherwise acquiring, stockpiling or retaining chemical weapons, or transferring them to other States or non-State actors, and underscored also that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer such weapons.

Also by the text, Syria should comply with all aspects of the OPCW decision, notably by accepting personnel designated by OPCW or the United Nations and providing them with immediate and unfettered access to — and the right to inspect — any and all chemical weapons sites.

Further, the Council decided to regularly review Syria’s implementation of the OPCW Executive Council decision and the present resolution, requesting the OPCW Director-General, through the Secretary-General, to report to it within 30 days and every month thereafter. Fully endorsing the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012, the Council called for the convening, as soon as possible, of an international conference on Syria to implement that Communiqué.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the resolution’s passage as “the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time”, but said, even amid that important step, “we must never forget that the catalogue of horrors in Syria continues with bombs and tanks, grenades and guns”. He said the plan to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons was “not a license to kill with conventional weapons”.

Stressing that the perpetrators of the chemical attacks in Syria must be brought to justice, he said a United Nations mission had returned to complete its fact-finding investigation. The team would conclude its work next week and he would promptly transmit a report to all Member States.

He pressed the Council to capitalize on its new-found unity by focusing on two other equally crucial dimensions of the conflict: the dire humanitarian situation and the political crisis. For their parts, the Syrian sides must engage constructively towards the creation of a democratic State, while regional actors must challenge those who sought to undermine that process.

In the debate that followed, Council members praised the text for placing binding obligations on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, requiring it to get rid of its “tools of terror”. United States Secretary of State John Kerry said that that regime bore the burden of meeting the terms of the resolution.

At the same time, Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, emphasized that the responsibility for implementing the resolution did not lay with Syria alone. The text had not been passed under the Charter's Chapter VII, nor did it allow for coercive measures. It contained requirements for all countries, especially Syria's neighbours, which must report on moves by non-State actors to secure chemical weapons.

Also speaking in today’s debate were the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, France, Azerbaijan, Republic of Korea, China, Guatemala, Morocco and Argentina, as well as the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.

The representatives of Rwanda, Togo and Australia also spoke.

The meeting began at 8:15 p.m. and ended at 9:45 p.m.
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Sat Oct 22, 2016 4:08 am

UN Resolution 2335

http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc12001.doc.htm

ecurity Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution 2235 (2015), Establishing Mechanism to Identify Perpetrators Using Chemical Weapons in Syria
The Security Council today decided to establish for one year a Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which would identify “to the greatest extent feasible” individuals, entities, groups or Governments perpetrating, organizing, sponsoring or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons in Syria.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2235 (2015), the Council also reaffirmed it would impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter in response to violations of resolution 2118 (2013), by which it determined that chemical weapons use anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security. It requested the Secretary-General, in coordination with OPCW, to submit within 20 days recommendations — including terms of reference — on the establishment and operation of the new body, expressing its intention to respond within five days.

Further, the Council requested that the Secretary-General and OPCW Director-General undertake “without delay” the steps, measures and arrangements necessary for the speedy establishment and full functioning of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, including recruiting impartial and experienced staff on as wide a geographical basis as practicable. It also requested them to report to the Council and the OPCW Executive Council on the date the Joint Investigative Mechanism would begin its full operations and every 30 days thereafter.

By other terms of the text, the Council recalled that in resolution 2118 (2013), it had decided that Syria and all parties in the country should cooperate fully with OPCW and the United Nations, including through full access to all locations, individuals and materials in Syria that the Joint Investigative Mechanism deemed relevant and determined that “reasonable grounds” existed for access to be justified, including areas within Syrian territory but outside the Government’s control. It called on all other States to provide relevant information to the Mechanism and the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission.

(On 4 February, that Mission had found “with a high degree of confidence” that chlorine had been used as a weapon in Syria in the villages of Talmenes, Al Tamanah, and Kafr Zita from April to August 2014.)

After the adoption, delegates hailed the text’s passage as a rare display of Council unity on the situation in Syria, with the representative of the Russian Federation saying his Government could not overlook the OPCW findings of chemical weapons use. While the question of who had used chemical weapons remained unanswered, the Joint Investigative Mechanism would help to bridge that gap, a point echoed by the representatives of France and Nigeria. “Pointing the finger matters”, the United States asserted. In such work, China’s representative added, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria must be respected.

Syria’s representative said neither the Government nor its army had ever used chemical weapons. Syrian civilians had been targeted by Da’esh [also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS)] and Al Nusra Front. In fact, Syria had warned many times of the danger of chemical weapons use by terrorist groups, some of which were affiliated with Al-Qaida. He recalled Syria’s initiative to launch an inquiry into an incident in Khan al-Asal. Dozens of official memorandums also had been sent to the Council and OPCW containing proof of chemical weapons use.

On the contrary, he said, Syria had upheld its commitments, having adhered to the Chemical Weapons Convention and resolution 2118 (2013). It had cooperated in all ways and had “transparently and flexibly” dealt with the issue despite the challenges of a complex and provocative security situation. Neutrality, transparency and non-politicization must guide the Mechanism, as previous missions had relied on false witness statements and been led “with partiality” from outside Syria.

Also speaking today were the representatives of United States, Spain, Venezuela, Jordan, Lithuania, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

The meeting began at 10:04 a.m. and ended at 10:54 a.m.

Resolution

The full text of Security Council resolution 2235 (2015) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Recalling the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC), and the Council’s resolutions 1540 (2004), 2118 (2013) and 2209 (2015),

“Recalling that the Syrian Arab Republic acceded to the CWC, noting that the use of any toxic chemical, such as chlorine, as a chemical weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic is a violation of resolution 2118, and further noting that any such use by the Syrian Arab Republic would constitute a violation of the CWC,

“Condemning in the strongest terms any use of any toxic chemical as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic and noting with outrage that civilians continue to be killed and injured by toxic chemicals as weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Reaffirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, and stressing again that those individuals responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable,

“Recalling its request to the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Secretary-General to report in a coordinated manner on non-compliance with resolution 2118,

“Noting the letter of the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council of 25 February 2015 (S/2015/138), transmitting the note of the Director-General of the OPCW, discussing the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 4 February 2015 that expressed serious concern regarding the findings of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) made with a high degree of confidence that chlorine has been used repeatedly and systematically as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Noting that toxic chemicals as weapons have allegedly been used subsequent to the adoption on 6 March of Security Council resolution 2209 (2015),

“Recognizing that the OPCW FFM is not mandated to reach conclusions about attributing responsibility for chemical weapons use,

“Recalling that, in its resolution 2118, it decided that the Syrian Arab Republic and all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully with the OPCW and the United Nations,

“1. Reiterates its condemnation in the strongest terms of any use of any toxic chemical, such as chlorine, as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic;

“2. Recalls its decision that the Syrian Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or, transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or non-State actors;

“3. Reiterates that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer chemical weapons;

“4. Expresses its determination to identify those responsible for these acts and reiterates that those individuals, entities, groups, or governments responsible for any use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, must be held accountable, and calls on all parties in the Syrian Arab Republic to extend their full cooperation in this regard;

“5. Requests the UN Secretary-General, in coordination with the OPCW Director General, to submit to the Security Council, for its authorization, within 20 days of the adoption of this resolution, recommendations, including elements of Terms of Reference, regarding the establishment and operation of an OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups, or governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic where the OPCW FFM determines or has determined that a specific incident in the Syrian Arab Republic involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, and expresses its intent to respond to the recommendations, including elements of Terms of Reference, within five days of receipt;

“6. Requests further that after the Security Council has authorized the Joint Investigative Mechanism that the United Nations Secretary-General, in coordination with the OPCW Director General, undertake without delay the steps, measures, and arrangements necessary for the speedy establishment and full functioning of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, including recruiting impartial and experienced staff with relevant skills and expertise in accordance with Terms of Reference and notes due regard should be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide of a geographical basis as is practicable;

“7. Recalls that in its resolution 2118, it decided that the Syrian Arab Republic and all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully with the OPCW and the United Nations and stresses that this includes an obligation to cooperate with the OPCW Director General and its FFM and the United Nations Secretary-General and the Joint Investigative Mechanism, that such cooperation includes full access to all locations, individuals, and materials in the Syrian Arab Republic that the Joint Investigative Mechanism deems relevant to its investigation and where it determines there are reasonable grounds to believe access is justified based on its assessment of the facts and circumstances known to it at the time, including in areas within the Syrian territory but outside of the control of the Syrian Arab Republic, and that such cooperation also includes the ability of the Joint Investigative Mechanism to examine additional information and evidence that was not obtained or prepared by the FFM but that is related to the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism as set forth in paragraph 5;

“8. Calls on all other States to cooperate fully with the Joint Investigative Mechanism and in particular to provide it and the OPCW FFM with any relevant information they may possess pertaining to individuals, entities, groups, or governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic;

“9. Requests the FFM to collaborate with the Joint Investigative Mechanism from the commencement of the Joint Investigative Mechanism’s work to provide full access to all of the information and evidence obtained or prepared by the FFM including but not limited to, medical records, interview tapes and transcripts, and documentary material, and requests the Joint Investigative Mechanism, with respect to allegations that are subject to investigation by the FFM, to work in coordination with the FFM to fulfil its mandate;

“10. Requests the United Nations Secretary-General, in coordination with the OPCW Director General, to present a report to the United Nations Security Council and inform the OPCW Executive Council as of the date the Joint Investigative Mechanism begins its full operations and every 30 days thereafter on the progress made;

“11. Requests the Joint Investigative Mechanism to complete its first report within 90 days of the date on which it commences its full operations, as notified by the United Nations Secretary-General, and complete subsequent reports as appropriate thereafter and requests the Joint Investigative Mechanism to present the report, or reports, to the United Nations Security Council and inform the OPCW Executive Council;

“12. Requests the Joint Investigative Mechanism to retain any evidence related to possible uses of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic other than those cases in which the FFM determines or has determined that a specific incident in the Syrian Arab Republic involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, and to transmit that evidence to the FFM through the Director General of the OPCW and to the Secretary-General as soon as practicable;

“13. Affirms that action by the Security Council consistent with paragraph 5 is sufficient for the establishment of the Joint Investigative Mechanism;

“14. Decides to establish the Joint Investigative Mechanism for a period of one year with a possibility of future extension by the Security Council, if it deems it necessary;

“15. Reaffirms its decision in response to violations of resolution 2118 to impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter;

“16. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”
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Re: The war against Syria

Postby Paphitis » Sat Oct 22, 2016 4:10 am

UN Resolution 2209

http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11810.doc.htm

Adopting Resolution 2209 (2015), Security Council Condemns Use of Chlorine Gas as Weapon in Syria
In Event of Recurrence, Text Signals Chapter VII Action
Following the latest findings by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms any use of chlorine as a weapon in Syria, signalling it would take “Chapter VII” action if such arms were used again in the nearly four-year-old conflict.

By a vote of 14 in favour, zero against, and 1 abstention (Venezuela), the Council adopted resolution 2209 (2015), expressing deep concern that toxic chemicals had been used as a weapon in Syria, as concluded with a “high degree of confidence” by the OPCW fact-finding mission. It decided that in the event of non-compliance with resolution 2118 (2013), it would impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Toxic chemicals used as a weapon would violate resolution 2118 (2013) and the Chemical Weapons Convention, it stated.

[Chapter VII covers “Action With Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression”, allowing States to use all possible means, including economic sanctions and military action, to enforce United Nations resolutions. By resolution 2118 (2013), the Council endorsed the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme and agreed to impose Chapter VII measures in the event of non-compliance.]

Further to today’s resolution, the Council recalled its decision that Syria should not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer them — directly or indirectly — to other States or non-State actors. It reiterated that no party in the country should act as such.

By other terms, the Council expressed support for the 4 February OPCW Executive Council decision to continue the work of the fact-finding mission, in particular to study all available information relating to allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria. Stressing that those responsible for use of chemical weapons — including chlorine — must be held accountable, the Council called on all parties to fully cooperate with the mission.

Speaking after the adoption, the representative of Venezuela said he had abstained because the vote prejudged the results of the ongoing OPCW investigation. That inquiry should first conclude, in order to determine responsibility. Syria was a victim of armed groups that fuelled hatred and violence, and that also had major military capacity.

The representative of the Russian Federation stressed that only the OPCW guiding bodies could determine violations of the chemical weapons ban. He did not accept the use of sanctions under Chapter VII without attempts to confirm use of such chemicals.

Yet, the Council could not sit idle in the face of violations to resolution 2118 (2013), said the representative of France. His country stood ready to take measures under Chapter VII.

Along similar lines, the representative of the United Kingdom said today’s resolution put the Syrian regime on notice that the further use of chlorine gas would prompt the Council towards additional action.

Also speaking today were the representatives of China, United States and Jordan.

Making further statements were the representatives of the Russian Federation and the United States.

The meeting began at 12:40 p.m. and ended at 1:12 p.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 2209 (2015) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Recalling the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC), and the Council’s resolutions 1540 (2004) and 2118 (2013),

“Recalling that in resolution 2118 the Council decided that the Syrian Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or non-State actors and that the Council underscored that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer chemical weapons,

“Recalling that the Syrian Arab Republic acceded to the CWC, noting that the use of any toxic chemical, such as chlorine, as a chemical weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic is a violation of resolution 2118, and further noting that any such use by the Syrian Arab Republic would constitute a violation of the CWC,

“Noting that chlorine was the chemical first used as a chemical weapon on a large scale in the Battle of Ypres in April 1915,

“Noting the first, second, and third reports from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission, which was mandated to establish the facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Noting the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 4 February 2015 that, while stating diverse views on these reports, expressed serious concern regarding the findings of the Mission made with a high degree of confidence that chlorine has been used repeatedly and systematically as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Noting that this is the first ever documented instance of the use of toxic chemicals as weapons within the territory of a State Party to the CWC,

“Reaffirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law and reiterating that those individuals responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable,

“1. Condemns in the strongest terms any use of any toxic chemical, such as chlorine, as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic;

“2. Expresses deep concern that toxic chemicals have been used as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic as concluded with a high degree of confidence by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission and notes that such use of toxic chemicals as a weapon would constitute a violation of resolution 2118 and of the CWC;

“3. Recalls its decision that the Syrian Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or, transfer,
directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or non-State actors;

“4. Reiterates that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer chemical weapons;

“5. Expresses support for the OPCW Executive Council decision of 4 February 2015 to continue the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, in particular to study all available information relating to allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria and welcomes the intention of the OPCW Director-General to include further reports of the Mission as part of his monthly reports to the Security Council;

“6. Stresses that those individuals responsible for any use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, must be held accountable, and calls on all parties in the Syrian Arab Republic to extend their full cooperation to the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission;

“7. Recalls the decisions made by the Security Council in resolution 2118, and in this context decides in the event of future non-compliance with resolution 2118 to impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter;

“8. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”
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