Templeton Times: US Wants OPCW to Rubber-Stamp Official Falsified Douma Narrative By Stephen Lendman Global Research,

US Wants OPCW to Rubber-Stamp Official Falsified Douma Narrative

Global Research, April 18, 2018

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The chemical weapons watchdog is notoriously pro-Western. Its year ago fact-finding mission on the alleged Khan Sheikhoun CW incident falsified results.
Will its Douma analysis produce similar “findings” to please Washington and its imperial allies? Its
credibility long ago was lost.
No Douma CW incident occurred – confirmed by area medical personnel and Russian toxic weapons experts. Will the OPCW refute them, further tarnishing its credibility as an impartial body?
Washington’s dirty hands pressured the organization to confirm its falsified Douma accusations.
On Monday, the Trump administration’s OPCW envoy Kenneth Ward addressed the organization’s executive council in the Hague, turning truth on its head, saying:

“On April 7…the Syrian city of Douma came under an intense chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of innocent civilians and injured hundreds more.”
“Initial reports indicate the attack in Douma could result in a similar level of civilian casualties as experienced by the town of Khan Shaykhun last year.”

Fact: No evidence suggests a CW attack occurred in either location – no victims identified, no one killed or ill from CW exposure, no toxic residues found.
Ward lied claiming otherwise!

“After years of repeated and systematic use of chemical weapons, the chemical weapons attack in Douma represents yet another escalation of (Assad’s) barbaric chemical weapons attacks on its own people,” he roared, adding:
Assad “continues to terrorize (his) own citizens despite international condemnation for (the) use of chemical weapons.”
“This use has been confirmed by the independent and impartial OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.”
“It remains undeniable that the Syrian Government is in flagrant, indeed contemptuous, violation of international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention and United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

Fact: All of the above are flagrant, malicious, despicable bald-faced lies. Cold hard facts refute Ward’s contempt for truth-telling – practically instructing the OPCW to support the official falsified Douma narrative.
Ward:

“(I)t is our understanding the Russian Federation may have visited the attack site. We are concerned they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation. This raises serious questions about the ability of the FFM to do its job.”

Fact: The above remarks represent further strong-arm pressure on the OPCW to support phony US Douma incident accusations.
Ward:

“On 13 April, US, French, and British forces undertook military operations…were focused on degrading Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and deterring further use…”

Fact: US-led aggression had nothing to do with targeting alleged Syrian CW facilities which don’t exist – everything to do with escalating regime change efforts, mainly by targeting Syrian military sites.
Fact: A same-day article explained the true targets aimed at – foiled by Syrian air defense systems, practically assuring a repeat of what happened overnight Friday.
Ward:

“The military strikes by the United States of America and our allies were legitimate, proportionate, and justified.”

Fact: The strikes constituted US-led naked aggression against a sovereign state – the highest of high crimes.
Ward:

“The United States of America has tried repeatedly to use diplomatic, economic, and political tools to stop the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.”

Fact: A bald-faced lie! No evidence suggests Syrian CW use at any time during years of war – these toxins only used by US-supported terrorists.
Fact: Washington is a serial aggressor, rejecting diplomacy, targeting sovereign governments it wants eliminated, naked aggression its favored strategy.
Ward:

“(T)he Russian Federation has stood in the way of every effort the United States of America and our partners have taken to address this unacceptable situation.”
“The Russian Federation has repeatedly undermined efforts at the OPCW to pressure the regime to surrender its remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and completely dismantle its program.”
“The Russian Federation has also used its veto power six times over the past year to block United Nations Security Council resolutions and prevent (Syria) from being held accountable for its continuous use of chemical weapons.”

Fact: All of the above are bald-faced lies. Russia vetoed SC resolutions certain to result in escalated aggression, maybe all-out war, if adopted.
Ward:

“(T)he Russian Federation took away the world’s ability to attribute the chemical weapons attacks in Syria by vetoing the renewal of the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) – an impartial, independent technical body mandated to investigate responsibility for chemical weapons use in Syria.”

Fact: Another bald-faced lie! Last November, Russia and Washington vetoed each other’s SC resolutions on extending the JIM.
Moscow proposed 12 months until May 2018. Washington wanted another 24 months.
Its diabolical text included a provision for invoking the UN Charter’s Chapter VII, authorizing “action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security.”
Russia responsibly vetoed a resolution assuring escalated aggression if adopted.
JIM conclusions on last April’s Khan Sheikhoun incident were biased, distorted and one-sided. OPCW inspectors never visited sites requiring examination.
Russia called its report sloppy and “amateurish,” based on “a layman’s methodology,” lacking credibility. Moscow’s draft SC resolution called for revising JIM’s conclusions.
OPCW work failed to conform to international standards – likely on order from Washington. Its analysis was based on phony evidence supplied by anti-Syrian sources, including the al-Qaeda-linked White Helmets.
Ward’s remarks to the OPCW executive council sounded like a script prepared for Nikki Haley – despicable beginning-to-end bald-faced lies!

Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the CRG, Correspondent of Global Research based in Chicago.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

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Featured image is from Hürriyet Daily News.

BELOW IS THE MEDIA ADVISORY OF THE OPCW

MEDIA ALERT

Update on the Deployment of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to Douma, Syria

UPDATE BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE OPCW FACT-FINDING MISSION TO DOUMA, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AT ITS FIFTY-NINTH MEETING

“Mr Chairperson,

On Monday, I advised the Council on the work being undertaken by the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team that has been deployed to Damascus to establish the facts on the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma on 7 April. I should like to take this opportunity to update the Council on this mission.

On 16 April, we received confirmation from the National Authority of the Syrian Arab Republic that, under agreements reached to allow the evacuation of the population in Ghouta, the Syrian military were unable to enter Douma. The security for the sites where the FFM plans to deploy was under the control of the Russian Military Police. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) has made the necessary arrangements with the Syrian authorities to escort the team to a certain point and then for the escort to be taken over by the Russian Military Police. However, the UNDSS preferred to first conduct a reconnaissance visit to the sites, which took place yesterday. FFM team members did not participate in this visit.

On arrival at Site 1, a large crowd gathered and the advice provided by the UNDSS was that the reconnaissance team should withdraw. At Site 2, the team came under small arms fire and an explosive was detonated. The reconnaissance team returned to Damascus.

The UNDSS will continue to work with the Syrian National Authority, the local Councils in Douma, and the Russian Military Police to review the security situation. At present, we do not know when the FFM team can be deployed to Douma. Of course, I shall only consider such deployment following approval by the UNDSS, and provided that our team can have unhindered access to the sites.

This incident again highlights the highly volatile environment in which the FFM is having to work and the security risks our staff are facing. I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to States Parties for their continued support for the FFM, as they reiterated during the Council meeting on Monday. This is particularly important for our staff taking part in such challenging missions.”

Official Document: EC-M-59/DG.2 18 April 2018