Re: [Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[mkaradjis via Marxism]

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Yes, as David pointed out, the OPCW cannot assign blame, just
determine if a a chemical attack took place, but the joint OPCW/JIM
mission can assign blame. The JIM's mandate expired in November,
Russia refused to renew it (I guess it didn;t like the fact that it
kept assigning blame to its client), and it vetoed the renewal of the
JIM's mandate after the Douma attack. However, it seems that Russia
and Assad do not really even want the OPCW to go in to determine
whether or not chemicals were used - in nearly 2 weeks after the
attack they are still being refused entry (even though hacks like Fisk
are allowed in to dutifully report what the regime wants him to). I
guess they still need a little more time to clean up the site before
letting them in.

On Sat, Apr 21, 2018 at 3:51 AM, Louis Proyect via Marxism
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> On 4/20/18 1:47 PM, David McDonald via Marxism wrote:
>>
>> I'm still on a quest for a definitive written statement from the OPCW that
>> the Syrian regime bombed Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017.
>
>
> They are not permitted to assign blame.
>
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-18/what-will-happen-when-chemicals-inspectors-go-to-syria/9672444
>
> Chemical weapons inspectors are in Syria to begin their fact-finding mission
> at the site of the alleged chemical attack at Douma 10 days ago.
>
> But don't expect any definitive finding that points the finger at Syrian
> government forces, or any other group.
>
> The chemical weapons watchdog — the Organisation for the Prevention of
> Chemical Weapons (OPCW) — lacks a mandate to assign blame, no matter what
> evidence it finds at the site.
>
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Re: [Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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On 4/20/18 1:47 PM, David McDonald via Marxism wrote:

I'm still on a quest for a definitive written statement from the OPCW that
the Syrian regime bombed Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017.


They are not permitted to assign blame.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-18/what-will-happen-when-chemicals-inspectors-go-to-syria/9672444

Chemical weapons inspectors are in Syria to begin their fact-finding 
mission at the site of the alleged chemical attack at Douma 10 days ago.


But don't expect any definitive finding that points the finger at Syrian 
government forces, or any other group.


The chemical weapons watchdog — the Organisation for the Prevention of 
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) — lacks a mandate to assign blame, no matter 
what evidence it finds at the site.

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Re: [Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[David McDonald via Marxism]

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I'm still on a quest for a definitive written statement from the OPCW that
the Syrian regime bombed Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017. Mohammad Idrees
Ahmad, in an article here
,
links to another Al Jazeera article here

from October 26, 2017 on the Commission of Inquiry on the Republic of
Syria's forthcoming report, which Al Jazeera headlines thus: "Syrian Forces
Behind Khan Shaikhoun Gas Attack: UN Probe". However, I cannot find the
referenced report anywhere. What I did find was this written statement by
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, who is the chairman of the COI on Syria:

[Begin quote]

We stress that the vast majority incidents in which civilians are killed
and maimed involve the unlawful use of conventional arms, in particular
through indiscriminate aerial bombardments using cluster munitions and
explosive weapons in civilian populated areas. We have a duty under our
mandate, however, to document the unambiguously illegal use of prohibited
chemical weapons, in blatant violation of international law and attribute
responsibility accordingly. Reporting on such heinous crimes and human
rights violations is at the very core of our work. Silence is also a
statement and we cannot remain silent in such matters.

In several instances, Government forces used chemical weapons against
civilians in opposition-held areas, including in Khan Shaykhun (Idlib) on 4
April. In accordance with our well-established methodology, we gathered
extensive evidence including dozens of interviews, photos of remnants and
satellite imagery and concluded that Syrian aircraft dropped a sarin bomb
in Khan Shaykhun killing over 80 individuals, mostly women and children,
and injuring hundreds more.

This attack took place during a Syrian and Russian aerial campaign in
northern Hama and southern Idlib, which targeted medical facilities. As a
result, these facilities could not provide adequate assistance to victims
of sarin on 4 April."

[End quote]
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[Marxism] Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[Zachary Medeiros via Marxism]

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Here you go, David.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2017/10/27/opcw-un-jims-leaked-report-khan-sheikhoun-tells-us-russias-denials-syrias-sarin/


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Re: [Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[David McDonald via Marxism]

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I really hate exposing my own ignorance. But I am still not clear on what
exactly the OPCW said about who bombed Khan Sheikhoun, even after reading
the official statements on the OPCW website.

Everyone, even the Syrian government, acknowledges that sarin was used in
the attack on Khan Sheikhoun. The OPCW mandate on Khan Sheikhoun, according
to OPCW itself, was not to determine who dropped the sarin bombs, but was
only to determine if a chemical attack occurred.

"The FFM’s mandate is to determine whether chemical weapons or toxic
chemicals as weapons have been used in Syria; it does not include
identifying who is responsible for alleged attacks." The FFM (Fact Finding
Mission) then passed along its finding to "the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative
Mechanism (JIM), an independent body established by the UN Security Council
(Resolution 2235, 7 August 2015). The JIM’s purpose was to identify the
perpetrators of the chemical weapon attacks confirmed by the Fact Finding
Mission. The JIM’s mandate expired in December 2017."

So, it appears that the Joint Investigative Mechanism is the body that will
look into who dropped the sarin. But I cannot find any information about
what the JIM said about Khan Sheikhoun.

Any help greatly appreciated.
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Re: [Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[mkaradjis via Marxism]

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That is incorrect Chris. The SA statement on Assad's chemical attack
on Douma refers to "reports of a chemical gas attack on Douma",
meaning you see it as neither confirmed nor do you know for sure who
did it. Yet here you write without any qualifications that the rebels
did use chlorine against Sheikh Maqsud in 2016, as if it has been
proven, and as evidence you provide the Amnesty report. But that
report only makes allegations:

In its May 2016 report correctly condemning rebel groups in Aleppo for
firing unguided missiles in Sheikh Maqsud, killing Kurdish civilians
(https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-armed-opposition-group-committing-war-crimes-aleppo-new-evidence),
Amnesty included this paragraph:

“There are also *allegations* that armed groups attacking Sheikh
Maqsoud have used chemical weapons. A doctor told Amnesty that on 7
and 8 April he treated six civilians and two YPG fighters for symptoms
including shortness of breath, numbness, red eyes and severe coughing
fits. He said that several of the victims reported seeing yellow smoke
as missiles impacted.  A toxicologist consulted by Amnesty, who viewed
video clips of the apparent attack and reviewed the doctor’s
testimony, said the patients’ symptoms *could be* the effects of a
chlorine attack.  A subsequent statement purportedly issued by the
leader of the Army of Islam armed group said that a field commander
had deployed an “unauthorised weapon” on Sheikh Maqsoud and would be
held to account.”

Thus the allegations consist of (1) reports of “shortness of breath,
numbness, red eyes and severe coughing fits” among 6-8 people, which a
toxicologist said “could be the effects of a chlorine attack”, but
also could easily be the effects of “normal” bombing (not to justify
that of course: in fact these rebel attacks were condemned by both the
Syrian Opposition Coalition
http://en.etilaf.org/all-news/news/syrian-coalition-reiterates-calls-for-sparing-syrian-civilians.html
, and the generally pro-opposition Syrian Network for Human Rights
(SNHR)  
http://sn4hr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/fsa_attacks_neighborhoods_in_Alepp_city_en.pdf);

(2) one grainy photo somewhere in Sheikh Maqsud that looked like some
yellow dye had been rubbed onto it;

(3) The statement by Ghouta-based Jaysh al-Islam condemning its own
Aleppo branch for using “weapons not authorized for use in these types
of confrontations,” claiming to have disciplined a local commander
(http://aranews.net/2016/04/main-syrian-islamist-rebel-group-punishes-field-commander-massacring-kurds-aleppo/).
There was no indication he was referring to chemical weapons, and yet
the claim that JaI "admitted" to using chemical weapons in this
statement has been reported as fact virtually everywhere, and spread
in particular by the Rojavasphere (the same Rojavasphere that had no
idea who had no idea who attacked Ghouta with chemical weapons in
August 2013). The problem with this Big Lie technique is that JaI
itself claimed that it was referring to “modified Grad rockets,” not
chemical weapons
(https://twitter.com/islamalloush0/status/718410175934263296).

People who read my Ghouta article know I hold a very low opinion of
JaI. However, if they did punish the commander for using weapons that
kill civilians in this case, that is a good thing. JaI needs to be
condemned for things it has done, not for things it hasn’t done and
claims its hasn’t made. It is not my business to prove they didn't do
it; nor does their *denial* that they did it prove that they didn't.
But claiming that they admitted it when they clearly didn't is a
strikingly dishonest way of arguing.


On Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 5:40 PM, Chris Slee via Marxism
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>
> In a recent interview Stephen Zunes noted that, while the Assad regime has 
> carried out most of the chemical weapon attacks in Syria, including the 
> recent attack on Douma, rebel groups have also carried out some chemical 
> attacks.  Some people have disputed this, but Zunes is correct.
>
> One example is the use of chlorine against the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh 
> Maqsoud neighbourhood in Aleppo in 2016:
>
> https://www.amnesty.org.au/syria-armed-groups-war-crimes-aleppo/
>
> The rebels have used chlorine, not sarin.  Only the Assad regime has used 
> sarin.  Chlorine is much easier to manufacture and 

[Marxism] Use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels

[Chris Slee via Marxism]

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In a recent interview Stephen Zunes noted that, while the Assad regime has 
carried out most of the chemical weapon attacks in Syria, including the recent 
attack on Douma, rebel groups have also carried out some chemical attacks.  
Some people have disputed this, but Zunes is correct.

One example is the use of chlorine against the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh 
Maqsoud neighbourhood in Aleppo in 2016:

https://www.amnesty.org.au/syria-armed-groups-war-crimes-aleppo/

The rebels have used chlorine, not sarin.  Only the Assad regime has used 
sarin.  Chlorine is much easier to manufacture and handle.  It is also less 
deadly than sarin.  The symptoms are quite different.

Chris Slee

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