The team of the Chemical Weapons Agency Investigate Alleged Attacks in Douma
After a delay, the fact finding team (FFM) from the Organization of Anti-Chemical Weapons (OPCW) finally arrived in Douma, Syria, at the weekend. They are tasked to collect samples as well as some other objects.
The attack that allegedly used deadly chemicals that occurred on April 7 last. Based on reports of volunteers in the field, there were at least 85 people killed, while 1,200 others were injured.
1. They will examine the sample in Holland.
OPCW released a report following the success of the team at the entrance to Douma. In the report, the OPCW stated that the team had visited one of two places that were reported to be the location of the attack.
Sample taken will be immediately taken to the OPCW Laboratory in Rijswijk, Netherlands, to then be analyzed by experts there. However, the OPCW has only a mandate to prove whether there is a chemical weapon in use. They are not allowed to investigate who is responsible.
2. Syria and Russia had banned them from entering.
The time span between the incidents of the attack on April 7 and the entry of OPCW teams at the end of last week was quite long. There was a concern that certain parties tried to use it to eliminate evidence.
OPCW itself has actually fielded a team a week after the attack. They arrived in Damascus on Saturday (14/4). At the beginning of the week (16/4), the Syrian and Russian governments issued a ban on them to enter Douma.
"If you go to a newly bombed location, I can imagine you will have some logistical problems," said one of Russia's top diplomats to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, as quoted by The Guardian. On the other hand, before they were banned by Russia because they did not have permission from the UN. Then, the UN also gives what is required.
3. UN security team is the target of fire.
When the ban was lifted several hours later, another problem came. On Wednesday (18/4), UN security team that inspects the Douma first became the target of firing and must return to Damascus.
The OPCW director, Ahmet Uzumcu, reported that in the first location, the team was immediately raided by a large crowd that was forced to leave. In the second location, they are attacked with firearms and explosives. Uzumcu also admitted that OPCW "do not know when the FFM team will be dispatched to Douma".
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova insists her government and Syria are not trying to block the OPCW team. He said, "It's a shame that some people still want to accuse the authorities of Syria and Russia of letting and failing to fulfill their obligations to ensure free access to areas suspected of being the site of chemical attacks in Douma."
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