Assad regime uses chemical weapons on Syrians when it 'feels most at risk': U.S. envoy

U.S. deputy envoy to the UN, Robert Wood, on Thursday accused the Bashar al-Assad regime of using chemical weapons against Syrians when it "feels most at risk."

"A very, very small group of states present in this chamber would obviously prefer to hide the truth about the Assad regime's repeated use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people," Wood said at a UN Security Council session on Syria.

Saying that "the truth cannot be hidden," Wood pledged that those responsible "will be held accountable."

He stated that the latest resumption of the Syrian conflict is "a reminder of the relevance of" the Security Council's meeting on chemical weapon usage in Syria as well as the resolutions 2118 and 2254, which demand the dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, and outlines a roadmap for a Syrian-led peace process, respectively.

"It is in situations like the one we face today, when the Assad regime feels most at risk and this is important that the regime previously unleashed chemical weapons on its own people," he said.

Emphasizing that despite the regime and its supporters trying to "distort the truth" regarding chemical weapon use, Wood said that "the facts are obvious, and no one should be fooled by these cheap tricks."

"At this moment, when we see the regime and its backers ramping up attacks on civilians in Aleppo and Idlib. Our message is simple: The eyes of the international community are on you and will remain on you until justice and accountability are reached," he said.

Calling on the Security Council to "remain seized of the Syrian chemical weapons dossier," he said, "Syria's chemical weapons program is not a relic of the past, it is a threat to international peace and security."

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's deputy envoy, accused the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of "obediently" complying with "Western orders to taint the reputation of both Syria and its allies."

"The West continues to lie, transforming this web of lies into a massive knot instead of a frank and objective investigation at the OPCW," he said, describing the organization as "illegitimately established" to "professionally" fabricate lies.

Counselor for Türkiye's Permanent Mission to the UN, Erman Çetin, stressed that "the use of chemical weapons in Syria has deepened the tragedy of the" conflict, and said it is "a grave violation of international law and human dignity."

"This has also prevented the prospects of moving closer to a genuine political solution to the Syrian conflict," he said.

Noting the spread of chemical weapons is also a threat to "the entire region and beyond," Çetin noted the "shared responsibility to take decisive action to prevent the use of chemical weapons and ensure accountability."

"The international community should maintain its pressure on Damascus to fully comply with its obligations under the convention and cooperate unconditionally with the OPCW," he said.

He said Türkiye "deeply condemns the use of chemical weapons anywhere at any time," and pledged to provide the "necessary support to the UN and the OPCW to advance the efforts on prohibition of such weapons."

"The unfolding developments once again demonstrate the urgent need for revitalizing the political process," he said, and reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to provide support for the "elimination of chemical weapons, accountability and political process" with aims to "achieve lasting peace and stability in Syria."

Nidal Shikhani, director general of the Chemical Violations Documentation Center of Syria (CVDCS), said, "Chemical weapons have turned the lives of Syrians into hell."

"The use of such weapons has led to deformed childbirths and psychological trauma to the victims, in addition to the death of animals and the destruction of soil," he said.

He urged new strategies to "ensure a world free from weapons of mass destruction and ensure holding the users of such weapons to accountability," and said countries need to end support for the Assad regime. "They must stop protecting this chemical terrorist weaponry which threatens Syrians violates international conventions," he said.

Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, conveyed the UN's concern about the "deteriorating security situation in Syria."

Saying that "a total of 26 outstanding issues with regard to the Syrian Arab Republic's declaration, of which, 19 remain unresolved," Nakamitsu affirmed the OPCW's commitment to "implementing its mandate aimed at verifying the fulfillment of the Syrian Arab Republic's declaration obligations" under an OPCW decision and relevant Security Council resolutions.