Russia Slammed for Nonexistent Syrian CW Use

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Robert Wood is US envoy to the Conference on Disarmament. He also serves as Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) Issues.

On Wednesday at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, he irresponsibly slammed Russia, repeating a Big Lie proliferated by others in Washington and other Western capitals, saying:

"For Russia to claim that the Assad regime has eliminated its chemical stockpiles is just absurd." 

"Its continued denial of the Assad's regime culpability in the use of chemical weapons is simply incredible."

"Russia needs to be on the right side of history on this issue. It is currently on the wrong side of history."

On June 17, 2015, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) headlined "Disposal of effluents from neutralized Syrian chemical weapons completed," saying:

The OPCW "welcomes the completion of disposal of effluents resulting from neutralization operations aboard the US vessel Cape Ray."

"These operations governed the destruction at sea of almost 600 metric tonnes of sulphur mustard and methylphosphonyl difluoride (DF) from Syria's chemical weapons program. DF is a key precursor chemical for manufacturing nerve agent."

On January 4, 2016, the OPCW headlined "Destruction of declared Syrian chemical weapons completed," saying:

"Veolia, the US firm contracted by the OPCW to dispose of part of the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile, has completed disposal of 75 cylinders of hydrogen fluoride at its facility in Texas."

"This completes destruction of all chemical weapons declared by the Syrian Arab Republic.  The need to devise a technical solution for treating a number of cylinders in a deteriorated and hazardous condition had delayed the disposal process."  

Commenting on what was completed, OPCW director-general Ahmet Uzimcu said: 

"This process closes an important chapter in the elimination of Syria's chemical weapon program as we continue efforts to clarify Syria's declaration and address ongoing use of toxic chemicals as weapons in that country."

No evidence suggests any CWs remain in the hands of the government or its military, these agents only possessed by US-supported terrorists.

Claims otherwise are false. No credible data support them. According to Syria's envoy to the UN in Geneva Hussam Aala, his government accomplished an "unprecedented achievement by destroying all its chemical weapons in record time and in a manner that is irrevocable, although field conditions were extremely complex due to our war against terrorism."

Accusations by Washington and its imperial partners, claiming Syrian use of CWs, are bald-faced lies. Whenever ISIS, al-Nusra and other US-supported terrorists use these weapons, Syria is falsely blamed.

Addressing the Conference on Disarmament on Wednesday in Geneva, Sergey Lavrov stressed Syria eliminated its entire CW stockpile under international supervision and control.

He called US and White Helmet accusations of Syrian CW use "fully discredited," calling them "absurd," adding:

"We note that the US and its allies are simply exploiting baseless allegations of toxic weapons use by Damascus as a tool of anti-Syrian political engineering" - diplomatic language for bald-faced lies!

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