US Once Again Suspects Authorities in Syria of Using Chemical Weapons

103

May 20, 2013

Published in Argumenti i Fakti
(Russia) on 25 May 2013
by (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Heather Stetten. Edited by Gillian Palmer.

The U.S. is again accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons, but who has used them this year remains unknown, said acting American Undersecretary of State Rose Gottemoeller on the radio show “Echo of Moscow.”

“Of course, chemical weapons in the hands of the Syrian government are under the control of the government. What we are afraid of is that they might fall into the hands of terrorists; that is very unsettling,” announced Gottemoeller.*

Gottemoeller noted that “it seems unknown” who used chemical weapons during the conflict in Syria. Syrian authorities, who maintain that they have no chemical weapons at their disposal, accuse the opposition of applying toxic agents in the Aleppo region on March 19. In response, the opposition announced that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Homs in December of 2012.

Earlier it was said that the U.N. commission on investigating human rights violations in Syria did not find convincing evidence of the use of chemical weapons on either side of the Syrian conflict.

*Editor’s Note: This quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.

Комиссия ООН по расследованию нарушений прав человека в Сирии не обнаружила доказательств применения химического оружия какой-либо из сторон сирийского конфликта

Москва, 25 мая – АиФ-Москва. США вновь обвиняют сирийское правительство во владении химическим оружием, но остается неизвестным, кто его использовал в этом году, сообщила и.о. замгоссекретаря США Роуз Геттемюллерв эфире радио «Эхо Москвы».

«Конечно, химическое оружие в руках сирийского правительства, под контролем правительства. Мы боимся, что оно может попасть в руки террористов, поэтому очень обеспокоены», — заявила Геттемюллер.

И.о. замгоссекретаря США отметила, что «кажется, неизвестно», кто использовал во время конфликта в Сирии химоружие.

Власти Сирии, утверждающие, что в их распоряжении нет химического оружия, обвиняют оппозицию в применении отравляющих веществ в районе Алеппо 19 марта. При этом оппозиционеры заявляют, что сирийские правительственные силаы применяли химоружия в Хомсе в декабре 2012 года.

Ранее сообщалось, что комиссия ООН по расследованию нарушений прав человека в Сирии, не нашла «убедительных доказательств» применения химического оружия какой-либо из воюющих сторон в сирийском конфликте.

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