Landmark UNSC vote keeps Assad in place

The Security Council votes on Friday (UN photo by Amanda Voisard)

In a landmark move, the Security Council on Friday evening endorsed the expeditious destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons program, with inspections to begin by Tuesday (October 1). It agreed that in the event of non-compliance, it would impose “Chapter VII” measures.

This follows the international outrage caused by the use of chemical weapons on two Damascus suburbs on August 21, as concluded by a United Nations investigation team.

But the war in Syria has been raging since March 2011 through the use of conventional weapons. It was going on before August 21 and continues still.

More than 100,000 people have been killed. One out of every three Syrians is displaced. One out of every three Syrians needs humanitarian assistance. The medical system has collapsed. And third of Syria is in rubble because conventional weapons are being used indiscriminately every day.

Will the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, his supporters and backers be deterred from continuing to use conventional weapons?

By keeping the regime untouched, does Assad now have license to kill through conventional weapons?

Unanimously adopting Resolution 2118 (2013), the 15-member Security Council determined that the use of chemical weapons anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security. It called for the full implementation of the September 27 decision of the Organization 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. It underscored also that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer such weapons.

Also, Syria should comply with all aspects of the OPCW decision, notably by accepting personnel designated by OPCW or the UN 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.

Following is the full text of Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013):

“The Security Council,

“Recalling the Statements of its President of 3 August 2011, 21 March 2012, 5 April 2012, and its resolutions 1540 (2004), 2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012),

“Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Reaffirming that the proliferation of chemical weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security,

“Recalling that the Syrian Arab Republic on 22 November 1968 acceded to the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva on 17 June 1925,

“Noting that on 14 September 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic deposited with the Secretary-General its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (Convention) and declared that it shall comply with its stipulations and observe them faithfully and sincerely, applying the Convention provisionally pending its entry into force for the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Welcoming the establishment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic (the Mission) pursuant to General Assembly resolution 42/37 C (1987) of 30 November 1987, and reaffirmed by resolution 620 (1988) of 26 August 1988, and expressing appreciation for the work of the Mission,

“Acknowledging the report of 16 September 2013 (S/2013/553) by the Mission, underscoring the need for the Mission to fulfill its mandate, and emphasizing that future credible allegations of chemical weapons use in the Syrian Arab Republic should be investigated,

“Deeply outraged by the use of chemical weapons on 21 August 2013 in Rif Damascus, as concluded in the Mission’s report, condemning the killing of civilians that resulted from it, affirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, and stressing that those responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable,

“Recalling the obligation under resolution 1540 (2004) that all States shall refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons and their means of delivery,

“Welcoming the Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons dated 14 September 2013, in Geneva, between the Russian Federation and the United States of America (S/2013/565), with a view to ensuring the destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program in the soonest and safest manner, and expressing its commitment to the immediate international control over chemical weapons and their components in the Syrian Arab Republic,

“Welcoming the decision of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of 27 September 2013 establishing special procedures for the expeditious destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program and stringent verification thereof, and expressing its determination to ensure the destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program according to the timetable contained in the OPCW Executive Council decision of 27 September 2013,

“Stressing that the only solution to the current crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process based on the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012, and emphasizing the need to convene the international conference on Syria as soon as possible,

“Determining that the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic constitutes a threat to international peace and security,

“Underscoring that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council's decisions,

“1.   Determines that the use of chemical weapons anywhere constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

“2.   Condemns in the strongest terms any use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on 21 August 2013, in violation of international law;

“3.   Endorses the decision of the OPCW Executive Council 27 September 2013, which contains special procedures for the expeditious destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program and stringent verification thereof and calls for its full implementation in the most expedient and safest manner;

“4.   Decides 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;

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

“6.   Decides that the Syrian Arab Republic shall comply with all aspects of the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 27 September 2013 (Annex I);

“7.   Decides that the Syrian Arab Republic shall cooperate fully with the OPCW and the United Nations, including by complying with their relevant recommendations, by accepting personnel designated by the OPCW or the United Nations, by providing for and ensuring the security of activities undertaken by these personnel, by providing these personnel with immediate and unfettered access to and the right to inspect, in discharging their functions, any and all sites, and by allowing immediate and unfettered access to individuals that the OPCW has grounds to believe to be of importance for the purpose of its mandate, and decides that all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully in this regard;

“8.   Decides to authorize an advance team of United Nations personnel to provide early assistance to OPCW activities in Syria, requests the Director-General of the OPCW and the Secretary-General to closely cooperate in the implementation of the Executive Council decision of 27 September 2013 and this resolution, including through their operational activities on the ground, and further requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Director-General of the OPCW and, where appropriate, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, to submit to the Council within 10 days of the adoption of this resolution recommendations regarding the role of the United Nations in eliminating the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program;

“9.   Notes that the Syrian Arab Republic is a party to the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, decides that OPCW-designated personnel undertaking activities provided for in this resolution or the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 27 September 2013 shall enjoy the privileges and immunities contained in the Verification Annex, Part II (B) of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and calls on the Syrian Arab Republic to conclude modalities agreements with the United Nations and the OPCW;

“10.  Encourages Member States to provide support, including personnel, technical expertise, information, equipment, and financial and other resources and assistance, in coordination with the Director-General of the OPCW and the Secretary-General, to enable the OPCW and the United Nations to implement the elimination of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program, and decides to authorize Member States to acquire, control, transport, transfer and destroy chemical weapons identified by the Director-General of the OPCW, consistent with the objective of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to ensure the elimination of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program in the soonest and safest manner;

“11.  Urges all Syrian parties and interested Member States with relevant capabilities to work closely together and with the OPCW and the United Nations to arrange for the security of the monitoring and destruction mission, recognizing the primary responsibility of the Syrian Government in this regard;

“12.  Decides to review on a regular basis the implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic of the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 27 September 2013 and this resolution, and requests the Director-General of the OPCW to report to the Security Council, through the Secretary-General, who shall include relevant information on United Nations activities related to the implementation of this resolution, within 30 days and every month thereafter, and requests further the Director-General of the OPCW and the Secretary-General to report in a coordinated manner, as needed, to the Security Council, non-compliance with this resolution or the OPCW Executive Council decision of 27 September 2013;

“13. Reaffirms its readiness to consider promptly any reports of the OPCW under Article VIII of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which provides for the referral of cases of non-compliance to the United Nations Security Council;

“14.  Decides that Member States shall inform immediately the Security Council of any violation of resolution 1540(2004), including acquisition by non-State actors of chemical weapons, their means of delivery and related materials in order to take necessary measures therefore;

“15. Expresses its strong conviction that those individuals responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic should be held accountable;

“16.  Endorses fully the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 (Annex II), which sets out a number of key steps beginning with the establishment of a transitional governing body exercising full executive powers, which could include members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups and shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent;

“17. Calls for the convening, as soon as possible, of an international conference on Syria to implement the Geneva Communiqué, and calls upon all Syrian parties to engage seriously and constructively at the Geneva Conference on Syria, and underscores that they should be fully representative of the Syrian people and committed to the implementation of the Geneva Communiqué and to the achievement of stability and reconciliation;

“18. Reaffirms that all Member States shall refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery, and calls upon all Member States, in particular Member States neighboring the Syrian Arab Republic, to report any violations of this paragraph to the Security Council immediately;

“19.  Demands that non-State actors not develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery, and calls upon all Member States, in particular Member States neighboring the Syrian Arab Republic, to report any actions inconsistent with this paragraph to the Security Council immediately;

“20.  Decides that all Member States shall prohibit the procurement of chemical weapons, related equipment, goods and technology or assistance from the Syrian Arab Republic by their nationals, or using their flagged vessels or aircraft, whether or not originating in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic;

“21.  Decides, in the event of non-compliance with this resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic, to impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter;

“22. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Syria healthcare at "breaking point"

The Open Letter in The Lancet

A group of 55 doctors and medical professionals from across the globe, including three Nobel Prize winners, have called on the “Syrian Government and all armed parties to refrain from attacking hospitals, ambulances, medical facilities and supplies, health professionals and patients; allow access to treatment for any patient; and hold perpetrators of such violations accountable according to internationally recognized legal standards.”

It also calls on the UN and international donors “to increase support to Syrian medical networks, in both government and opposition areas, where, since the beginning of the conflict, health professionals have been risking their lives to provide essential services in an extremely hostile environment.”

The Open Letter warns that Syria’s health systems are at “breaking point.”

In an Open Letter published in The Lancet online today, the signatories from across five continents highlight the acute shortage of medical personnel, supplies and facilities afflicting the people of Syria after more than two years of conflict, with over half of Syria’s hospitals destroyed or damaged, and thousands of health workers either imprisoned, or fleeing abroad.

* * * * *

Open Letter: Let us treat patients in Syria

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Eliza Glinka, Harald zur Hausen, Roberto Luiz d'Avila, on behalf of 55 signatories. (See the list of signatories below)

The conflict in Syria has led to what is arguably one of the world's worst humanitarian crises since the end of the Cold War. An estimated 100,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, and many more have been wounded, tortured, or abused. Millions have been driven from their homes, families have been divided, and entire communities torn apart; we must not let considerations of military intervention destroy our ability to focus on getting them help.

As doctors and medical professionals from around the world, the scale of this emergency leaves us horrified. We are appalled by the lack of access to health care for affected civilians, and by the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and personnel. It is our professional, ethical, and moral duty to provide treatment and care to anyone in need. When we cannot do so personally, we are obliged to speak out in support of those risking their lives to provide life-saving assistance.

Systematic assaults on medical professionals, facilities, and patients are breaking Syria's health-care system and making it nearly impossible for civilians to receive essential medical services. According to WHO, 37% of Syrian hospitals have been destroyed and a further 20% severely damaged. Makeshift clinics have become fully fledged trauma centres struggling to cope with the injured and sick. According to the Violations Documentation Centre, an estimated 469 health workers are currently imprisoned, and about 15,000 doctors have been forced to flee abroad according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Of the 5000 physicians in Aleppo before the conflict started, only 36 remain. (Assessment Working Group for Northern Syria.  Aleppo city assessment report, March 2013. http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/aleppo_assessment_report.pdf)

The targeted attacks on medical facilities and personnel are deliberate and systematic, not an inevitable nor acceptable consequence of armed conflict. Such attacks are an unconscionable betrayal of the principle of medical neutrality.

The number of people requiring medical assistance is increasing exponentially, as a direct result of conflict and indirectly because of the deterioration of a once-sophisticated public health system and the lack of adequate curative and preventive care. Horrific injuries are going untended; women are giving birth with no medical assistance; men, women, and children are undergoing life-saving surgery without anaesthetic; and victims of sexual violence have nowhere to turn to.

The Syrian population is vulnerable to outbreaks of hepatitis, typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. The lack of medical pharmaceuticals has already exacerbated an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a severe infectious skin disease that can cause serious disability, there has been an alarming increase in cases of acute diarrhoea, and in June aid agencies reported a measles epidemic sweeping through districts of northern Syria. In some areas, children born since the conflict started have had no vaccinations, meaning that conditions for an epidemic, which have no respect for national borders, are ripe.

With the Syrian health system at breaking point, patients battling chronic illnesses including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and requiring long-term medical assistance have nowhere to turn for essential medical care.

The majority of medical assistance is being delivered by Syrian medical personnel but they are struggling in the face of massive need and dangerous conditions. Governmental restrictions, coupled with inflexibility and bureaucracy in the international aid system, is making things worse. As a result, large parts of Syria are completely cut off from any form of medical assistance.

Medical professionals are required to treat anyone in need to the best of their ability. Any wounded or sick person must be allowed access to medical treatment.

As doctors and health professionals we urgently demand that medical colleagues in Syria be allowed and supported to treat patients, save lives, and alleviate suffering without the fear of attacks or reprisals.

To alleviate the effect on civilians of this conflict and of the deliberate attacks on the health-care system, and to support our medical colleagues, we call on the Syrian Government and all armed parties to refrain from attacking hospitals, ambulances, medical facilities and supplies, health professionals and patients; allow access to treatment for any patient; and hold perpetrators of such violations accountable according to internationally recognised legal standards. We call on all armed parties to respect the proper functions of medical professionals and medical neutrality by allowing medical professionals to treat anyone in need of medical care and not interfering with the proper operation of health-care facilities. Governments that support parties to this civil war should demand that all armed actors immediately halt attacks on medical personnel, facilities, patients, and medical supplies and allow medical supplies and care to reach Syrians, whether crossing front lines or across Syria's borders. We call on the UN and international donors to increase support to Syrian medical networks, in both government and opposition areas, where, since the beginning of the conflict, health professionals have been risking their lives to provide essential services in an extremely hostile environment.

We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.

* * * *

Supplementary appendix on behalf of the 55 signatories:

1. Dr Salim S. Abdool Karim (South Africa), President of the South African Medical Research Council and Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

2. Dr Peter Agre (US), Professor at Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, former Chairman of the Human Rights Committee at the National Academy of Sciences, and corecipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2003.

3. Dr Salah Al Ansari (Saudi Arabia), Executive Director of the Islamic Medical Committee and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.

4. Dr Neil Arya (Canada), former President of Physicians for Global Survival, founding Director of the Global Health Office at Western University, and co-editor of Peace through Health.

5. Dr. Deborah D. Ascheim (US), Chair of the Board of Directors of Physicians for Human Rights and Associate Professor and Clinical Director of Research in Department of Health, Evidence and Policy at Mount Sinai, New York.

6. Dr Holly Atkinson (US), former President of Physicians for Human Rights and Co-director of the Advancing Idealism in Medicine Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

7. Dr Roberto Luiz d'Ávila (Brazil), President of the Federal Council of Medicine, Brazil.

8. Dr Hany El Banna (Egypt/UK), Pathologist, founder of the Humanitarian Forumand ofIslamic Relief, and Chairman of the International HIV Fund.

9. Dr Ahmad Hassan Batal (Syria/Bahrain), Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Batal Eye Center, and member of the Syrian Expatriates Medical Association.

10. Prof Dominique Belpomme (France), Professor of Oncology, Director of the European Cancer and Environment Research Institute, and President of the Association pour la Recherche Thérapeutique Anti-Cancéreuse.

11. Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway), former Director-General of the World Health Organization, former Prime Minister of Norway, and member of The Elders.

12. Dr Richard Carmona (US), 17th Surgeon General of the United States.

13. Sir Iain Chalmers (UK), British health services researcher, one of the founders of the Cochrane Collaboration, and coordinator of the James Lind Initiative.

14. Dr Lincoln Chen (US), Chair of BRAC-USA.

15. Yaolong Chen (China), Editor, Testing Treatments Interactive, one of the founders of the Chinese GRADE Centre.

16. Sir Terence English (UK/South Africa), former President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, former President of the British Medical Association. Performed Britain’s first successful heart transplant.

17. Prof Atul Gawande (US), surgeon, writer, and professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

18. Dr Elizaveta Glinka (Russia), founder and President of the palliative health charity Spravedlivaya Pomosh (Fair Aid).

19. Dr Fatima Haji (Bahrain), rheumatologist and Internal Medicine Specialist at Salmaniya Medical Complex.

20. Dr Rola Hallam (Syria/UK),member of Hand in Hand for Syria medical committee and Secretary of World Anaesthesia Society, Association of anaesthetist of Great Britain and Ireland.

21. Dr Fatima Hamroush (Libya), former Minister of Health in the Libyan Transitional Government and President of Irish Libyan Emergency Aid.

22. Prof Dr Harald zur Hausen (Germany), winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

23. Dr Monika Hauser (Germany), gynecologist and CEO of Medica Mondiale.

24. Dr Jules Hoffmann (France), winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

25. Dr Richard Horton (UK), Editor of The Lancet.

26. Dr Unni Karunakara (India), International President of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

27. Dr Michel Kazatchkine (France), UN Secretary General Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

28. Dr Kerem Kinik (Turkey), President of Doctors Worldwide Turkey.

29. Dr Sergey Kolesnikov (Russia), Co-President of Russian IPPNW, Professor at Moscow State University, and Co-President of the All-Russia Social Movement For Safeguarding People.

30. Prof Dr Sebnem Korur Fincanci (Turkey), President of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey and one of the founders of the Turkish Association of Forensic Medicine.

31. Dr Robert Lawrence (US), Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Health Policy and International Health at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Founder of the Centre for a Livable Future at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-founder of Physicians for Human Rights.

32. Dr Kgosi Letlape (South Africa), President of the African Medical Association and ExecutiveDirector of the Tshepang Trust.

33. Dr Mohammed G. A. Al Maadheed (Qatar), President of the Qatar Red Crescent and Vice President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

34. Serigne MagueyeGueye (Senegal), fistula surgeon, Head of Urogynecology at the University of Dakar, Head of Urology at Grand Yoff General Hospital, and Editor for several major medical journals. Awarded UN Medal for Peace for work as a field trauma surgeon for AU forces in Rwanda.

35. Dr Jemilah Mahmood (Malaysia), founder and former President of the Malaysian Medical Relief Society, Board Member of DARA, recipient of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity.

36. Dr Paul McMaster (UK), surgeon working with Médecins Sans Frontières in Syria.

37. Dr Denis Mukwege (DRC), Founder and Medical Director of Panzi Hospital in South Kivu Province, DRC.

38. Dr Robert Mtonga (Zambia), Co-President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

39. HE Dr Laila Negm (Egypt), Director of the Health and Humanitarian Department, League of Arab States.

40. Dr Rose Nyabanda (Kenya), Head of Radiology at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya.

41. Professor Sir Michael Rawlins (UK), President of the Royal Society of Medicine.

42. Dr TilmanA Ruff (Australia), Associate Professor at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Co-President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

43. Prof Hamid Rushwan (Sudan/UK), Chief Executive of Board at International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

44. Dr Eloan dos Santos Pinheiro (Brazil), former Director of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

45. Dr Babulal Sethia (UK), President-Elect of the UK Royal Society of Medicine.

46. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman (South Africa), founder and Chairman of Gift of the Givers, Africa's largest relief aid organisation.

47. Dr Laila Taher Bugaighis(Libya), Deputy Director General of the Benghazi Medical Centre, Member of the RCOG of London, Senior Lecturer, founder of the National Protection Against Violence Committee, and Co-founder of the Al Tawafuk Al Watani Democratic Organization.

48. Prof Prathap Tharyan (India), Professor of Psychiatry at the Christian Medical College (Vellore, India), Coordinator of the South Asian Cochrane Network, and member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the WHO-ICTRP.

49. Dr Michael Van Rooyen (US), Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

50. Dr Vasiliy Vlassov (Russia), President of the Russian Society for Evidence Based Medicine.

51. Prof Ron Waldman (US), President of Board of Directors of Doctors of the World, USA, and Editor-in-Chief of Global Health: Science and Practice
.

52. Prof Prathap Tharyan (India), Professor of Psychiatry at the Christian Medical College (Vellore, India), Coordinator of the South Asian Cochrane Network, and member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the WHO-ICTRP.

53. Dr Michael VanRooyen (US), Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

54. Dr Vasiliy Vlassov (Russia), President of the Russian Society for Evidence-Based Medicine.

55. Prof Ron Waldman (US), President of Board of Directors of Doctors of the World-USA and Professor of Global Health, George Washington University.

HRW confirms executions by Assad forces

While the world’s attention is on ensuring the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can no longer use chemical weapons against its population, “we shouldn’t forget that Syrian government forces have used conventional means to slaughter civilians,” Human Rights Watch reminds us on Friday.

Syrian government and pro-government forces executed at least 248 people in the towns of al-Bayda and Baniyas on May 2 and May 3, 2013, Human Rights Watch says in a report released Friday. It was one of the deadliest instances of mass summary executions since the start of the war in Syria in March 2011, it notes.

The 68-page report, “‘No One’s Left’: Summary Executions by Syrian Forces in al-Bayda and Baniyas,” is based on interviews with 15 al-Bayda residents and five from Baniyas, including witnesses who saw or heard government and pro-government forces detain and then execute their relatives.

Human Rights Watch says:

Working with survivors and local activists, Human Rights Watch compiled a list of 167 people killed in al-Bayda and 81 in Baniyas. Based on witness accounts and video evidence, Human Rights Watch determined that the overwhelming majority were executed after military clashes ended and opposition fighters had retreated.

The actual number of fatalities is probably higher, particularly in Baniyas, given how difficult it is to access the area to account for the dead.

“While the world’s attention is on ensuring that Syria’s government can no longer use chemical weapons against its population, we shouldn’t forget that Syrian government forces have used conventional means to slaughter civilians,” said Joe Stork, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Survivors told us devastating stories of how their unarmed relatives were mowed down in front of them by government and pro-government forces.”

The Syrian government acknowledged its military operations in al-Bayda and Baniyas but said its forces had killed only “terrorists.”

Ali Haidar, minister of state for national reconciliation affairs, told the Wall Street Journal that “mistakes” may have been committed in the operations and that a government committee was investigating. But he also said the government was forced to act to deny rebels a foothold in a part of Syria that many considered the heartland of the Alawites.

On the morning of May 2, Syrian government forces and pro-government militias clashed with opposition fighters in al-Bayda, a town of about 7,000 residents 10 kilometers from the coastal city of Baniyas. The area is considered a Sunnite antigovernment enclave within the largely Alawite and pro-government Tartous governorate.

Witnesses said that after the local opposition fighters retreated, at about 1 p.m., government and pro-government forces entered the town and proceeded to search the houses.

Over the next three hours, the forces entered homes, separated men from women, rounded up the men of each neighborhood in one spot and executed them by shooting them at close range.

Human Rights Watch also documented the execution of at least 23 women and 14 children, including infants.

Pleas from Putin and Obama on Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama are at the chess board again, addressing the American people, congressional leaders and the world at large on the threat of a strike against Syria. 

Putin confirms his Chess Grandmaster status by once more checkmating Obama by penning an op-ed in The New York Times that will increase doubts on a strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In “A Plea for Caution From Russia, What Putin Has to Say to Americans About Syria,” he writes: “The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance...”

Obama had earlier emailed Americans, saying, “I need your help to make sure that everyone understands the factors at play.

“Please share this message with others to make sure they know where I stand and how they can stay up to date on this situation…”

The following is the email sent by the U.S. president and received by a friend in Dubai on Wednesday:

* * * * *

Good evening –

I just addressed the nation about the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Over the past two years, what began as a series of peaceful protests against the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has turned into a brutal civil war in Syria. Over 100,000 people have been killed.

In that time, we have worked with friends and allies to provide humanitarian support for the Syrian people, to help the moderate opposition within Syria, and to shape a political settlement. But we have resisted calls for military action because we cannot resolve someone else's civil war through force.

The situation profoundly changed in the early hours of August 21, when more than 1,000 Syrians -- including hundreds of children -- were killed by chemical weapons launched by the Assad government.

What happened to those people -- to those children -- is not only a violation of international law -- it's also a danger to our security. Here's why:

If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. As the ban against these deadly weapons erodes, other tyrants and authoritarian regimes will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gases and using them. Over time, our troops could face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield. It could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and use them to attack civilians. If fighting spills beyond Syria's borders, these weapons could threaten our allies in the region.

So after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them, and make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use.

Though I possess the authority to order these strikes, in the absence of a direct threat to our security I believe that Congress should consider my decision to act. Our democracy is stronger when the President acts with the support of Congress -- and when Americans stand together as one people.

Over the last few days, as this debate unfolds, we've already begun to see signs that the credible threat of U.S. military action may produce a diplomatic breakthrough. The Russian government has indicated a willingness to join with the international community in pushing Assad to give up his chemical weapons and the Assad regime has now admitted that it has these weapons, and even said they'd join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits their use.

It's too early to tell whether this offer will succeed, and any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments. But this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force.

That's why I've asked the leaders of Congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. I'm sending Secretary of State John Kerry to meet his Russian counterpart on Thursday, and I will continue my own discussions with President Putin. At the same time, we'll work with two of our closest allies -- France and the United Kingdom -- to put forward a resolution at the U.N. Security Council requiring Assad to give up his chemical weapons, and to ultimately destroy them under international control.

Meanwhile, I've ordered our military to maintain their current posture to keep the pressure on Assad, and to be in a position to respond if diplomacy fails. And tonight, I give thanks again to our military and their families for their incredible strength and sacrifices.

As we continue this debate -- in Washington and across the country -- I need your help to make sure that everyone understands the factors at play.

Please share this message with others to make sure they know where I stand, and how they can stay up to date on this situation. Anyone can find the latest information about the situation in Syria, including video of tonight's address, here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

HRW points to Assad regime use of CW

While the international community continues "huff and puff" and hesitantly threatens to bring the house of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in, available evidence strongly suggests Syrian government forces were responsible for chemical weapons attacks on two Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013, Human Rights Watch -- the New York-based independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights -- says in a report published Tuesday.

These attacks, which killed hundreds of civilians including many children, appeared to use a weapons-grade nerve agent, most likely Sarin.

Mother and Father weep over their child killed in Ghouta (via HRW)

The 22-page report, “Attacks on Ghouta: Analysis of Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria,” documents the two chemical weapons attacks on the opposition-controlled suburbs of Eastern and Western Ghouta, located 16 kilometers apart, in the early hours of August 21.

The report says:

Human Rights Watch analyzed witness accounts of the rocket attacks, information on the likely source of the attacks, the physical remnants of the weapon systems used, and the medical symptoms exhibited by the victims as documented by medical staff.

“Rocket debris and symptoms of the victims from the August 21 attacks on Ghouta provide telltale evidence about the weapon systems used,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. “This evidence strongly suggests Syrian government troops launched rockets carrying chemical warheads into the Damascus suburbs that terrible morning.”

The evidence concerning the type of rockets and launchers used in these attacks strongly suggests these are weapon systems known and documented to be only in the possession of, and used by, Syrian government armed forces, Human Rights Watch said.

Via HRW

Human Rights Watch analyzed publicly posted YouTube videos from the attacked areas as well as higher-resolution images of weapon remnants provided by a local activist in Eastern Ghouta. 

Two separate surface-to-surface rocket systems believed to be associated with the delivery of chemical agents were identified. The first type of rocket, found at the site of the Eastern Ghouta attacks, is a 330mm rocket that appears to have a warhead designed to be loaded with and deliver a large payload of liquid chemical agent. The second type, found in the Western Ghouta attack, is a Soviet-produced 140mm rocket that, according to reference guides, has the ability to be armed with one of three possible warheads, including one specifically designed to carry and deliver 2.2 kilograms of Sarin.

The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the attacks and has blamed opposition groups, but has presented no credible evidence to back up its claims. Human Rights Watch and arms experts monitoring the use of weapons in Syria have not documented Syrian opposition forces to be in the possession of the 140mm and 330mm rockets used in the attack or their associated launchers.

While Human Rights Watch was unable to go to Ghouta to collect weapon remnants, environmental samples, and physiological samples to test for the chemical agent, it has sought technical advice from an expert on the detection and effects of chemical warfare agents. The expert reviewed accounts from local residents, the clinical signs and symptoms described by doctors, and many of the videos that were taken of the victims of the August 21 attacks.

Via HRW

Three doctors in Ghouta who treated the victims told Human Rights Watch that victims of the attacks consistently showed symptoms including suffocation; constricted, irregular, and infrequent breathing; involuntary muscle spasms; nausea; frothing at the mouth; fluid coming out of noses and eyes; convulsing; dizziness; blurred vision; red and irritated eyes and pin-point pupils (myosis). Some young victims exhibited cyaonis, a bluish coloring on the face consistent with suffocation or asphyxiation. None of the victims showed traumatic injuries normally associated with attacks using explosive or incendiary weapons.

Such symptoms, and the lack of traumatic injuries, are consistent with exposure to nerve agents such as Sarin, Human Rights Watch said. There is laboratory evidence that Sarin gas has been used in a previous attack in April on Jobar, near Damascus, when a photographer for Le Monde newspaper who was present at the time later tested for exposure to Sarin. 

Victims of the August 21 attacks: A picture the world should never see again

The use of chemical weapons is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Although Syria is not among the 189 countries that are party to the 1993 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, it is a party to the 1925 Geneva Gas Protocol. Customary international law bans the use of chemical weapons in all armed conflicts.

The August 21 attacks on Ghouta are the first major use of chemical weapons since the Iraqi government used chemical weapons on Iraqi Kurdish civilians in Halabja 25 years ago, Human Rights Watch said.

“The increasingly evident use of chemical weapons in Syria’s terrible conflict should refocus the international debate on deterring the use of such weapons and more broadly protecting Syria’s civilian population,” Bouckaert said.