Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Legislation
  • War On Terror
  • EU Affairs
  • Elections
  • News Analysis

Justice still absent 2 years after Assad regime's chemical attack on Syria's Douma

by DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL Apr 08, 2020 - 12:31 pm GMT+3
People stand in front of damaged buildings, in the town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack, near Damascus, Syria, Monday, April 16, 2018. (AP Photo)
People stand in front of damaged buildings, in the town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack, near Damascus, Syria, Monday, April 16, 2018. (AP Photo)
by DAILY SABAH Apr 08, 2020 12:31 pm
RECOMMENDED
A police car leaves the grounds of Factory 56 at the plant of German car maker Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, southern Germany after shots were fired at the plant on May 11, 2023. (AFP File Photo)

Turkish community urges Germany to launch probe into PKK attack

Turks-in-Germany

It has been two years since the Bashar Assad regime’s chemical attack on civilians in Syria's Douma killed more than 41 people and injured more than 500 others. Despite concrete evidence that it used chlorine, the Syrian regime has still not officially been held accountable by international authorities for the massacre. The April 7, 2018 massacre helped the regime take control of the town.

Last year, a final report released by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that chlorine was used in the attack. The report said there were "reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon has taken place on April 7, 2018. This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine." The long-awaited findings confirmed an interim report, which medics said killed about 40 people when a cylinder containing poison gas landed on the roof of a housing block.

The report did not place blame because it was not part of the OPCW's scope at the time, although the watchdog has since been given powers to investigate responsibility for all chemical attacks in Syria dating back to 2014. A team of OPCW inspectors took more than 100 samples from some seven sites in Douma after they gained access to the town several weeks after the attack. The team also interviewed witnesses and carried out a series of tests, including toxicological and ballistic analysis, The Hague watchdog said.

“On the second anniversary of the Douma chemical massacre, justice is absent and an international failure to hold the perpetrators of crimes against millions of innocent Syrians accountable. Merely two days after the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack memorial, we sadly remember today another regime led chemical massacre on the people of Douma in 2018. More than 41 people suffocated to death and more than 500 others were injured. The mass murderers are still free,” the Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said in a series of Twitter messages on Wednesday.

Russia, which backs the regime of Syria's Bashar Assad, swiftly rejected the OPCW report, saying that it was "staged" by the White Helmets. Despite the rejections, activists and world powers continue to accuse the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons against its opponents and civilians.

The suspected use of chemical weapons in Douma, located on the outskirts of Damascus, prompted the United States, Britain and France to mount a series of airstrikes on Syrian regime targets. Separately, in Washington, the U.S. welcomed the OPCW's report and slammed the Syrian regime and Russia for trying to "sow disinformation" and charged that both had falsely accused the opposition of being behind the attack in Douma.

Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been killed in the nine years of brutal civil war that have riddled Syria. Yet, these attacks were not carried out through conventional weapons alone as the Bashar Assad regime repeatedly used chemical weapons, and no legal process is being conducted for these crimes. According to data supplied by Anadolu Agency (AA), the Assad regime has used chemical weapons in Syria at least 216 times over the last nine years. The regime conducted its first major chemical attack on Aug. 21, 2013 in the eastern Ghouta region of Damascus. The onslaught, which killed over 1,400 civilians, raised international concern at the time.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama had said the use of chemical weapons was a "red line," yet the regime continued using them after his statement.

Previously, the OPCW requested the annihilation of all chemical weapons and on Aug. 19, 2014, it announced that this process was completed. Yet, it became clear that with the attack in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017, the regime still had the illegal weapons. Over 100 civilians lost their lives in the assault and more than 500 people were affected by the gas.

The U.N. and OPCW Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM) held Bashar Assad accountable for the massacre in Khan Sheikhoun and presented its report regarding the incident to the U.N. Security Council. In a meeting on Nov. 16, 2017, however, the resolution that would extend the mission of the JIM was vetoed by Russia. Eventually, the JIM had to end its efforts on Nov. 17, 2017. Since the JIM's decision is not enough to put those responsible on trial, there have not been legal steps taken against the regime.

RECOMMENDED
A police car leaves the grounds of Factory 56 at the plant of German car maker Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, southern Germany after shots were fired at the plant on May 11, 2023. (AFP File Photo)

Turkish community urges Germany to launch probe into PKK attack

Turks-in-Germany
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Apr 08, 2020 6:22 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    syrian civil war chemical warfare opcw war crimes assad regime
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    U.S. President Joe Biden (C) gestures as he and Hunter Biden (L) watch fireworks from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2022. (EPA Photo)

    Hunter Biden's alleged iCloud leak exposes inappropriate content

    hunter-biden
    A general view of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Purple Mountai, Nanjing, China. (Photo courtesy by Ahmet Faruk Işık)

    Seed of modern Turkish diplomacy in China: Nanjing city

    Nanjing

    Turkish Airlines becomes world's 8th-strongest airline brand

    TURKISH-AIRLINES

    Erdoğan's triumph through the prism of Pakistan

    TURKISH-ELECTIONS
    No Image
    Migrants stranded in Bosnia-Herzegovina survive subzero conditions
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021