There are “reasonable grounds” to believe chemical weapons have been used by both sides in the Syrian war, a United Nations report claims today.
Human rights investigators said they had received allegations that both government forces and rebels had used “limited quantities” of the banned weapons, but that most evidence pointed to the regime doing so.
The 29-page report also said the conflict has reached “new levels of brutality,” and “war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations continue apace”. The UN estimates at least 80,000 people have died. The UN commission of inquiry examined four reported attacks with toxic substances in March and April.
Commission chairman Paulo Pinheiro said: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that limited quantities of toxic chemicals were used. It has not been possible, on the evidence available, to determine the precise chemical agents used, their delivery systems or the perpetrator. Witnesses that we have interviewed include victims, refugees who fled some areas, and medical staff.”
President Bashar al-Assad’s government and his opponents have accused each other of using chemical weapons. The US has said such use would be a “red line” for possible intervention.
More than 20 investigators conducted 430 interviews between January and May among refugees in neighbouring countries, and by Skype with people in Syria. They also viewed video evidence, including footage on the internet.
But the team said findings remained inconclusive. They called on Syria to allow a separate group of experts, named by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, full access to the country to collect samples from alleged victims.