Statement Syrian Coalition: No Chemical Weapons in Areas Under Free Syrian Army Control

18.10.2013 – The Syrian Coalition confirmed that there are no chemical weapons sites in the areas under Free Syrian Army control. The Syrian Coalition requested the General Director of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to be concise in his statements, which recently suggested that some chemical weapons sites were in areas under rebel control.

In their statement released today, “The Syrian Coalition, and the General Staff of the Free Syrian Army, reiterate their commitment to fully cooperate with members of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as they carry out their duties in dismantling and destroying the Assad regime’s chemical weapons.” The statement continues, “The Syrian Coalition wishes that the Director-General of OPCW, Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü, will, in the future, choose his remarks with more precision. There are regime-controlled chemical weapons sites that are in areas besieged by the FSA, however there are no chemical weapons sites that are controlled by rebel brigades.” The statement concluded with the Syrian Coalition warning of the regime’s possible abuse of the ensuing chaos which regime attributes to armed groups connected to the FSA. In the Syrian Coalition’s recent statement on Muadamiyah, the Syrian Coalition said that “Red Cross officers have been alerted about the dangers of placing these vulnerable people under the care of the regime but have stated that they are just humanitarian aid providers and can do nothing to ensure the safety of these families…” In the same statement the Syrian Coalition urges “the international community to stop neglecting its responsibilities and to immediately begin establishing humanitarian corridors, providing international relief agencies with unfettered access to save civilians in Muadamiyah.” The Coalition also demands the opening of humanitarian corridors that allow international humanitarian organizations to relieve the besieged people and to exclude any humanitarian organization in the political conflicts happening in the region. The Syrian Coalition also pointed out that the civilians handed over to the regime were detained and taken to large military camps under control of Assad forces.  (Source: Syrian Coalition)