OPCW head: Samples sent for examination in Syrian chemical weapon claims

Ahmet Uzumcu, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who sent off his experts to Syria to investigate the claims over chemical weapons use and began the examination of the samples in the laboratory, said they did not receive any information that the Syrian opposition seized the control of chemical weapons. The head of the OPCW, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, organized a team of inspectors, upon the request of the United Nations (UN), to probe the possible use of chemical weapons in the Syrian capital Damascus on August 21 and to investigate an earlier allegation of use of chemical weapons reported by the Syrian regime at Khan al-Assal as well as two other allegations reported by Security Council member states. At least 1,300 people were killed in a chemical weapons attack staged by the Syrian regime in the suburbs of the Ghouta region near Damascus, allegations of which the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) blamed on forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the suburbs of the Ghouta region near Damascus, but strongly denied by the Syrian government. The team led by Swedish scientist Dr. Åke Sellström, was able to carry out its work without incident following a pause in the investigation, when its convoy was attacked by snipers while heading to the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, and was welcomed by OPCW head Uzumcu in the Hague upon thier return on August 31 after completing the work of taking samples. The inspection team included staff of 9 experts from the OPCW, which works in cooperation with the UN, along with 3 colleagues from the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Speaking to Anadolu Agency in an exclusive on the course of the examination process and the ongoing related efforts, Uzumcu stated that the samples taken from the attack sites in Damascus of Syria by the UN inspectors team were sent to laboratories in four different countries for examination, the results of which is expected to be announced probably within two weeks, as he said. He stressed that the result report, to be prepared by Åke Sellström as the head of the UN inspectors team worked in Syria, will be presented to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and then the UN Secretariat will make the necessary statement. "I hoped that the international community will accept the results of the precise and careful efforts," Uzumcu said. Uzumcu also highlighted that the report, the results of which will be of scientific accuracy, will only serve as the scientific and technical verification of whether chemical weapons were used, but will not have a political aspect so as to announce who used the chemical weapons. He said they only had information provided by open sources on the use of chemical weapons, on which there are estimations up to one ton of toxic gases like nerve agents in different categories, namely sarin, etc. "Such amount of toxic gas stock is able to take a toll if used, which we think remains under the control of the Syrian regime forces up to now," he added. Uzumcu concluded that they did not receive any information that the Syrian opposition seized the control of chemical weapons. The OPCW, with 189 Member States, is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. Among its goals, the Convention aims to destroy all existing chemical weapons under international verification, and to assist and protect Member States from chemical weapons threats.