UAE: Helpless Syrian Population Paying Price of Chemical Attack, Says Local Paper

UAE: Helpless Syrian Population Paying Price of Chemical Attack, Says Local Paper



UAE:
Helpless Syrian Population Paying Price of Chemical Attack, Says Local Paper
Att.Editors: The following item is from the Emirates News Agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI,Apr 9 (WAM) - In an editorial today, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper commented on the latest chemical attack on civilians in Syria, saying, "Barbaric is a mild word to describe the alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in the Syrian city of Douma during an attack that killed dozens of people, including women and children." 

"Renewed violence in Douma is a matter of serious concern as sustained airstrikes and shelling have killed civilians, destroyed infrastructure and damaged health facilities," said ‘The Gulf Today’.

It quoted Pope Francis who pointed out, "there is not a good war and a bad one, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations."

The paper continued, "Just a week ago, Thomas Markram, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the UN Security Council that the persistent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria underscore the need to identify solutions and reach agreement on an appropriate accountability mechanism.

"The Joint Investigative Mechanism of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN was created in 2015 by the Council, but its mandate expired in November 2017.

"While allegations of the use of chemical weapons have not stopped, consideration of a mechanism for accountability has apparently slowed, if not come to a standstill, as Markram pointed out."

In November last year, the paper explained, the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution to renew the mandate of an international panel investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria, due to the use of the veto by permanent member, Russia.

The editorial went on to point out that an angry US President Donald Trump has stated that there will be a "big price to pay" after what he called a "mindless chemical attack" in Syria.

"Many dead, including women and children, in a mindless chemical attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world," the president tweeted.

It continued, "With allegations and counter-allegations flying around, it is the helpless Syrian population that is paying the price.

"Syria has been bleeding for long and the fighting has entered the eighth year. As per UN data, the conflict has produced more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees and 6.1 million internally displaced people, with more than 13 million people inside the country requiring humanitarian assistance, including nearly six million children."

In conclusion, the paper said, "The use of chemical weapons, under any circumstances, is totally unjustifiable. The international community cannot afford to remain silent. The perpetrators should not be allowed to get away with this kind of monstrous act." (WAM) (END/2018)