By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 25 -- On the UN's probe of Syria chemical weapons, after Syrian ambassador Bashar Ja'afari on Monday morning told Inner City Press his country had responded to the UN's “twenty questions,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky wouldn't confirm the response, Monday at noon.
Minutes later at the Security Council stakeout, however, Russia's Vitaly Churkin said he understood that Syria had responded.
Churkin leveled two criticisms at UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who along with Disarmament chief Angela Kane of Germany, Nesirky confirmed, is heading the probe preparations.
Churkin said Ban's UN is resisting including in the mandate of the probe the goal of finding out WHO used the chemical weapons allegedly used near Aleppo on March 19. That would seem absurd.
Confirming that the inclusion of Russian and Chinese experts on the investigations team had been requested but denied, on the theory that Permanent Five members of the Security Council should not be included, Churkin asked, why not then say no probers from NATO?
Inner City Press thought, why not “no EU”? What about the role of Angela Kane of Germany, beyond what Inner City Press has already reported about the quashed probe of her role in the UMOJA computer upgrade?
Bigger picture, Churkin beyond again saying that the UK and French request for a wider problem is intended to “delay or derail” the investigation in the alleged use of chemical weapons near Aleppo on March 19 said that some are experienced in “manufacturing allegations of chemical weapons” to pursue political goals.
An irony is that France opposed the US in this in Iraq, but now is the requester regarding Syria. Watch this site.
