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The Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations affirms that the Syrian regime has previously used chemical weapons against its own people when it felt gravely threatened, as it does today.

The United States has warned the Syrian regime against using chemical weapons following its recent defeats against opposition forces, recalling past incidents where prohibited chemical weapons were used against civilians.

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The U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Robert Wood, stated that the Syrian regime had previously used chemical weapons against its own people when it felt gravely threatened, a situation similar to today. He made this statement on Thursday during a UN Security Council session on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Wood emphasized that “very few countries” seek to conceal the truth about al-Assad‘s regime using chemical weapons, stating: “The al-Assad regime has used chemical weapons against its own people before, when it felt gravely threatened, as it does today.”

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He accused the Syrian regime and its supporters of distorting the truth with lies, affirming that the facts about the regime’s use of chemical weapons are very clear. He stressed the need for the UN Security Council to keep its focus on this issue.

Arman Cetin, advisor to Turkey’s permanent mission to the United Nations, stated that the use of chemical weapons in Syria had deepened the civil war, violated international law, and undermined human dignity.

Cetin also noted that the Syrian regime‘s use of chemical weapons had derailed efforts for a political solution, emphasizing that “the proliferation of chemical weapons to non-state actors or terrorist organizations poses a severe threat not only to Syria but to the entire region.”

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He insisted on the need for the international community to maintain pressure on the Syrian regime to cooperate unconditionally with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and fulfill its obligations.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Syria.

She highlighted the importance of full cooperation between Syria and the OPCW to dismantle all chemical weapons programs in the country, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2118, unanimously adopted on September 27, 2013.

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Nidal Sheikhani, director of the Syrian Chemical Violations Documentation Center, stated during the session that “chemical weapons have turned the lives of the Syrian people into hell.” He revealed that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons 262 times, resulting in 3,423 deaths and 14,000 civilian injuries.

The Syrian regime joined the OPCW on September 13, 2013. That same month, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2118 following a chemical attack by the Syrian regime in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, which caused a massacre. The regime had accused armed groups of being responsible.

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Since November 27, clashes have erupted between Syrian opposition factions and regime forces in several regions of the country. On November 29, opposition forces entered Aleppo, then seized control of Idlib the following day. On Thursday, they also captured Hama after intense clashes with the regime.