Security Council discusses "chemical lion" file amid international division

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday (June 4th) witnessed a divergence in positions during a session dedicated to discussing the developments of the chemical weapons file in Syria, where the United States praised the progress made in the detection of the remnants of the chemical program of the former Syrian regime.

UN: Ongoing cooperation with Damascus

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, stressed that the recent period has witnessed significant progress in efforts to end the chemical weapons file in Syria, noting that the OPCW and the Syrian government continue to cooperate to identify and deal with the remaining elements of the chemical program.

It called on member states to continue supporting these efforts, while Damascus announced in late May that additional materials and manufacturing equipment had been found that had been transferred to specialized facilities in preparation for their destruction.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has expressed concern about the possible presence of hidden munitions that the previous government has not yet disclosed, and disarmament officials have described the current cooperation with Damascus as an "unprecedented effort" that requires international logistical and material support to ensure that the dismantling process is completed with the highest degree of safety.

Western Positions: A Clear Condemnation of the Former Regime

The US deputy representative to the United Nations, Tammy Bruce, said that the resumption of the OPCW teams inside Syria resulted in the discovery of previously undeclared munitions, materials and equipment, considering that these findings confirm that the chemical arsenal "has not yet been fully revealed".

The discovery of undeclared missiles and chemicals is a historic and unequivocal condemnation of the deception of the former regime of the international community for more than a decade,  she said, stressing the need for strict and continuous monitoring to ensure that the chemical programme is fully dismantled and any attempt to revive it is prevented.

 The United Kingdom and France welcomed the swift cooperation of the new Syrian Government, in particular its handover of 34 boxes of documents related to the chemical programme.

The two countries stressed that the next phase will be more complex, requiring international insurance of dangerous sites to prevent the material from leaking or falling into the hands of extremist groups.

Turkey has shown clear support for the ongoing inspections, considering the complete disposal of chemical residues as a key pillar of regional security and the protection of common borders.

Beijing and Moscow: Push for a final lockdown

Russia and China have emphasized the need not to politicize the chemical dossier or use it as a tool of political pressure in international forums.

Moscow and Beijing called for speeding up the closure of this file once and for all, allowing Syria to move into the phase of reconstruction, restore economic stability, and attract foreign investment.

The Russian delegate stressed the need to provide conclusive and concrete evidence to prove the former regime's concealment of a military chemical program, considering that the current declarations need "careful and non-hasty verification."

He also directly criticized the OPCW, accusing it of violating evidence-gathering rules and a lack of professionalism and independence in its investigative methodology, a stance that reflects Moscow's desire to question the technical basis on which Western countries rely on its accusations.

Moscow accuses Washington and London of politicizing the file

Russia accused the United States and Britain of trying to politicize the chemical dossier and use it as a political pressure tool to keep Syria in the position of the "guilty state," allowing for the imposition of external conditions on its political and economic track.

The Russian delegation stressed that the continued opening of this file serves Western political agendas more than justice or international security.

Despite its criticism of the Western methodology, Moscow was keen to praise the efforts of the current Syrian government in facilitating the work of international committees and handing over the required documents and information.

The Russian delegate called on the international community to shift the focus towards early recovery and support for the Syrian economy, considering that closing the chemical file once and for all is a prerequisite for creating a stable environment for investment and reconstruction.

A Syrian Firm Reply

The Security Council session witnessed an official Syrian response that was clear and firm, focusing on affirming that the new Syrian government adopts comprehensive cooperation and full transparency in dealing with the chemical weapons file, while declaring a complete break with the practices of the former regime.

Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Alabi, stressed that the Syrian government has proven its good intentions through actions rather than statements, by providing unprecedented facilities to international inspection teams.

He considered that the continuation of some Western countries to make accusations or push for new sanctions constitutes an obstacle to the path of stability and recovery, and aims to keep Syria under constant political pressure despite the radical change in the state's approach.

While Damascus agreed with Moscow on the need to prevent the politicization of the file and adhere to purely technical standards, it distanced itself from Russian skepticism about the nature of the discoveries.

The Syrian delegation officially confirmed the existence of the abandoned arsenal that was seized, noting that the government has confiscated it in its entirety and has begun to hold those responsible accountable, in a step that reflects a clear commitment to international transparency and turning the page on the past.

The nature of the documents and documents handed over to Damascus

The Syrian government handed over a huge collection of about 60,000 documents distributed over 34 boxes, which constituted a very important source of information for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),  including confidential documents issued by the Center for Scientific Studies and Research, which include accurate data on the quantities of sarin gas and raw materials that have been manufactured and stored over the years.

It also included detailed geographical maps of undeclared bunkers, tunnels and warehouses used by the former regime to hide chemical munitions from inspectors, documents revealing the chain of command for the use of chemical weapons, as well as logistical details about the type of missiles and aerial bombs used in previous attacks.

Syria arrests 18 officials linked to al-Assad's chemical program

On May 26, Syria's mission to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced the arrest of 18 people suspected of involvement in the management and operation of the former regime's secret chemical program.

 The announcement came in conjunction with the unveiling of secret caches containing ammunition and toxic substances remaining, in the largest seizure since the start of cooperation between Damascus and the international organization.

The list of those arrested includes senior officers, including those with the rank of major general, in addition to four former Western sanctions lists. The group includes experts and engineers from the Center for Scientific Studies and Research, as well as security personnel tasked with securing the program and hiding its activity from international monitoring.

According to the Syrian mission, international investigations and inspections resulted in the seizure of hazardous waste, most notably 54 aerial bombs, 25 surface-to-surface bombs, sarin gas precursors, and mixing and storage equipment.

UN sources say the findings represent the strongest physical evidence yet of an undeclared chemical program that the former regime has maintained for years.