Brussels, 23/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - Bringing her full support to the United Nations' call for a deep, impartial and prompt investigation into the alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called, on 23 August, for the unity of the international community. “The international community must now urgently show a united face and ensure that a credible and thorough investigation can be carried out”, she said. “We must move beyond our differences. We owe it to the Syrian people (…) We must now put an end to the spiral of violence, terrorism and to the ever growing flow of refugees”, she continued, adding again that “the international community must now act with a sense of urgency and responsibility”. In Ashton's opinion, “without further delay, we must move forward on a diplomatic process along the lines of the initiative for a Geneva II conference”.
While Ashton continues to focus on a political solution, France has threatened a reaction of force if the chemical weapons attack is proved (see EUROPE 10905). This is a threat which is unacceptable to Russia. “In this context of a new wave of anti-Syrian propaganda, we think that the calls of a few European capitals to put pressure on the UN Security Council and to decide from now on to have recourse to force are unacceptable”, Russia's foreign affairs minister said on 23 August (our translation). The US and Russia have called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the experts from the UN and on the opposition to ensure safe access to the site of the incident, which it controls.
Sweden almost certain of use of chemical weapons. On 23 August, Sweden's Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt said that there was little doubt about the use of chemical weapons by the regime in an attack in a suburb of Damascus on 21 August. “In trying to assess all the information that is available, I find it difficult to reach any other conclusion than that a lethal chemical substance has been used”, Bildt said on his blog (our translation).
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said on television that they think that this is a widescale chemical attack from the Assad regime, but they want the United Nations to be able to establish this.
Threat from Ban Ki-moon. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that if the attack was proved, it would constitute a “crime against humanity”, would violate international law and should have serious consequences for the person who perpetrated it. He said it was a serious challenge for the whole international community. (CG/transl.fl)