By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 – Speaking to the press about chemical weapons in Syria for the second time in three days, Russia's Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin on Thursday slammed the planned leak of Permanent Five Security Council members' failed negotiation of a resolution.
Churkin said the UK's Mark Lyall Grant convened the five Permanent members to discuss a draft resolution which would track the G8 statement as to chemical weapons. But, Churkin argued, that statement envisioned the team led by Ake Sellstrom coming up with a report for the Council to review and then act on.
The British drive on the wrong side of the road, Churkin jokes, and they got the order here wrong as well. His criticism, however, was of the immediate leaking “to the first journalist” around, that Russia blocked it. Churkin said he had the permission of China's Li Baodong to say China's position was identical to Russia's on this.
Churkin similarly criticized US State Department spokesperson Jennifer Psaki saying that Russia was blocking Sellstrom's probe, saying this is misleading about the Security Council's role in the probe. He reminded that it was Syria which asked for the probe in the first place, of the Khan al-Asal deadly incident in March.
Inner City Press asked Churkin if too much time has gone by for Sellstrom or anyone else to make meaningful conclusions based on a visit to Khan al Asal now. Churkin replied that since the team keeps pushing, they must feel it or something is possible.
Inner City Press also asked Churkin whatever happened with Carla Del Ponte, who said there were strong suspicions of rebel chemical weapon use, then essentially disappeared. This perspective was not in the Commission of Inquiry's report, and it was Paulo Pinheiro and Karen AbuZayd who presented it, both in Geneva and New York. Churkin replied that Del Ponte was “very clear.”
But the question remains: where is Carla Del Ponte?
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