OPCW Again Falsely Blames Syria for CW Attacks by US Supported Jihadists

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

If lost, credibility is hard to regain, at times impossible. The OPCW clearly is in the latter category.

In deference to US imperial interests, it abandoned its mandated obligation "to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention…to achieve…a world…free of" CWs.

Instead of "credible and transparent" on-site inspections and unbiased reports, the organization operates as an imperial tool, its mandate abandoned, its credibility irreparably lost.

In all US preemptive wars of aggression on invented enemies, its ruling authorities use chemical, biological, radiological, and other banned weapons.

US-dominated NATO and Israel operate much the same way — ignored by the OPCW instead of forthrightly condemning it and calling for accountability.

Instead the organization focuses on falsely blaming US enemies for chemical weapons attacks perpetrated by its proxy jihadists, Syria wrongfully blamed time and again.

Throughout over nine years of US-initiated aggression against the nonbelligerent Syrian Arab Republic threatening no one, not a shred of credible evidence suggested that its forces ever used CWs against jihadists, let alone its own people it's been liberating and providing humanitarian aid to as needed.

Yet on April 8, the OPCW again falsely accused Syrian forces of "us(ing) chemical weapons in Ltamenah, Syria…on March 24, 25, and 30 2017.

In January 2016, the OPCW affirmed the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons, its director general at the time Ahmet Uzumcu saying:

"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."

In April 2018, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the following:

"Chemical weapons in Syria were destroyed (by Damascus). The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has verified this fact." 

"Chemical weapons in Syria are used by extremists and militants. This is a proven fact and every time, when yet another settlement, another town is liberated by the Syrian army, the servicemen find depots with chemicals there." 

"This has been proven by life, this has been proven by facts."

Zakhrova added that the US and its imperial allies blocked a draft Russian Security Council resolution to establish a mechanism for determining the origin of these banned weapons.

On April 23, 2018, Russia's Foreign Ministry explained that since 2011, "(t)here were no confirmed cases of the Syrian government using chemical weapons during this period." 

"At the same time, chemical weapon attacks committed by various anti-government forces, including terrorist groups supported by the US and its allies, were happening with increased frequency," adding:

"A trend has emerged recently to narrow down the (OPCW's) FFM's (fact finding mission) mandate to establishing whether chemical weapons were used in various incidents, while the mission's leadership does not view identifying how the weapons were used or collecting physical evidence that could help identify the perpetrators as part of its mandate."

"This has led to the emergence of a misguided practice whereby alleged chemical weapons incidents that violate OPCW standards are investigated remotely without any presence on the ground." 

"No samples are collected, while the choice of 'witnesses' and 'victims"' who provide accounts of the events is questionable."

"Investigations consist of 'analyzing' unverified reports from the Syrian opposition, as well as NGOs affiliated with the militants like the White Helmets, who receive funding from Great Britain and the US."

The OPCW's Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) operates as explained above, "not bother(ing) to visit the sites of the alleged chemical attacks, citing security concerns, while the so-called physical evidence and witness accounts were provided to the FFM by armed opposition groups. In this situation, the investigation could hardly be viewed as unbiased or impartial."

Since 2015, efforts by Russia to adopt a Security Council resolution condemning acts of chemical terrorism in Syria and Iraq were rebuffed by the US and its imperial allies, Russia's Foreign Ministry saying:

US-led Western countries "preferred to insist on their groundless accusations against the alleged use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad's legitimate government." 

"In doing so, the Western countries give a sense of impunity to the militants, encouraging them to use chemical weapons."

The pro-Western OPCW is part of the problem. On April 8, coordinator for it so-called Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) Santiago Onate-Laborde falsely said the following:

The ITT "concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the perpetrators of the use of sarin as a chemical weapon in Ltamenah on 24 and 30 March 2017, and the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon on 25 March 2017, were individuals belonging to the Syrian Arab Air Force," adding:

"(A)ttacks of such a strategic nature would have only taken place on the basis of orders from the higher authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic military command."

In June 2018, the OPCW's FFM claimed sarin and chlorine gas were "very likely used as a chemical weapon" on the above dates in Ltamenah.

Syria categorically denied the falsified accusation and others like it. No credible evidence supports them.

In response, Russia's OPCW press office rejected the organization's latest accusation as "unreliable" and "untrustworthy," adding:

Its new report was based on remote investigations. No visitations to the alleged sites were made.

Claims by terrorist groups and al-Qaeda-linked White Helmets were used in drawing its conclusions.

Chairman of Russia's lower house State Duma's International Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky condemned the latest OPCW report as fake news — no credible evidence supporting it because none exists.

A Final Comment

Based on information received from an OPCW whistleblower, WikiLeaks accused the organization last November of "doctoring (its Douma, Syria) chemical weapons report" — falsely accusing Syria of using CWs at the time.

The so-called incident was fake, a US/NATO-staged false flag, Syria wrongfully blamed for a victimless nonevent.

No one in Douma died, was hospitalized, or became ill from exposure to chemical or other toxins.

Local eyewitnesses and medical personal debunked the falsified narrative. Russian technical experts found no evidence of chemical or other toxins in soil samples and other analysis of the site.

Yet the OPCW FFM falsely claimed what didn't happen. Russia slammed the "fabricated" account of the fake incident.

Former OPCW inspection team leader Ian Henderson also exposed the ruse, setting the record straight on Douma, explaining that the FFM found no evidence of a CW incident.

Yet the doctored OPCW report falsely claimed otherwise, its assessment polar opposite facts on the ground.

Nothing the organization claims can be believed, its credibility irreparably lost.

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