US pledges accountability for perpetrators of Syria’s Ghouta chemical attack
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, The US Department of State, in a statement on the ninth anniversary of Ghouta Chemical Weapons Attack in Damascus, stressed the US’ commitment to hold the perpetrators accountability for crimes against humanity.
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson, said, “Nine years ago, early in the morning of August 21, 2013, the Assad regime released the nerve agent sarin on Syrian civilians in the Ghouta district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people — many of them children.
The statement stressed, “We recommit ourselves to accountability for the perpetrator….the United States uses all available tools to promote accountability for such attacks.”
The US “condemn in the strongest possible terms any use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, under any circumstances,” the statement read.
On August 21, 2013, rockets loaded with sarin warheads were launched into eastern Ghouta. Cooler weather allowed the nerve gas to permeate into lower levels of buildings as it spread across parts of the rebel stronghold.
More than a thousand people were killed in the attack, which the Syrian government still denies being involved in, including women and children.
The statement also called on the Syrian government to fully declare and destroy its chemical weapons program, in accordance with its international obligations.”
It demanded that the Syrian government allow the entry of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ Declaration Assessment Team to Syria to confirm that there is no chemical weapon left in the country.
The United Nations Security Council failed to refer the case to the International Criminal Court, due to the veto by Russia and China.
On November 30, the OPCW Director-General Mr. Fernando Arias stressed that the Syrian government did not cooperate with the OPCW team by not declaring about the fully stockpile of chemical weapons and it “still cannot be considered accurate and complete,” and also continuing to deny a visa to an OPCW weapons inspector.
The Department of state went further saying that the US is “strongly supports international and Syrian-led efforts to seek justice for the innumerable atrocities committed against the people of Syria.”
It added that some of the committed crimes mount to the level of “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Additionally, the US renewed its support for “an inclusive political resolution to the Syrian conflict in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254.”