UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
October 26, 2017
Press Release: Ambassador Haley on the Release of a Report on Chemical Weapons Use in Syria
The findings issued today by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and United Nations’ Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) have concluded that the Assad regime used chemical weapons on over 100 innocent civilians using the poison gas sarin in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, on April 4, 2017. The JIM also determined that ISIS was responsible for using the chemical weapon sulfur mustard in an attack that took place on September 16, 2016, in Um-Housh, Syria. Today’s report is the fourth instance of confirmed chemical weapons use by the Assad regime, though the actual number is much higher.
“Today’s report confirms what we have long known to be true. Time and again, we see independent confirmation of chemical weapons use by the Assad regime. And in spite of these independent reports, we still see some countries trying to protect the regime. That must end now. Ignoring the overwhelming amount of evidence in this case shows a purposeful disregard for widely agreed international norms. The Security Council must send a clear message that the use of chemical weapons by anyone will not be tolerated, and must fully support the work of the impartial investigators. Countries that fail to do so are no better than the dictators or terrorists who use these terrible weapons,” said Ambassador Haley.
