John, On Wednesday, April 8th, the United Nations’ chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), released its first report under a new mandate explicitly accusing the Assad regime of using banned chemical weapons to kill and maim Syrian civilians. The report confirms what Syrians and international monitors have known for years - that the Assad regime will commit every possible atrocity, including using barbaric and illegal chemical weapons, to further its illegitimate rule. However, the report’s findings also provide a new opportunity for justice and accountability for the Assad regime’s most hideous crimes.
As a signatory to the international Chemical Weapons Convention, and as a friend to the Syrian people, the United States must take the lead in demanding that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons are held accountable for their actions. That is why AFS is working hard to: - Ensure the full and timely implementation of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (P.L. 116-92), signed into law in December 2019, which will leverage crushing sanctions on regime officials, their international financiers and backers, and all those responsible for war crimes - including the deployment of chemical weapons - during the course of the Syrian conflict;
- Promote congressional passage of the Stop UN Support for Assad Act (H.R. 4868), in order to end the misappropriation and weaponization of U.S.-provided UN funding against Syrian civilians by the Assad regime;
- Push the Trump Administration to ensure the legitimacy and transparency of future UN-supported investigations and reports, and guarantee tangible repercussions for both past and future violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention by signatory states.
The UN and the international community at large must uphold their commitments to ending the use of chemical weapons, and to punishing those that continue to flaunt international law. We will not stop fighting to make sure that they do. Thank you for your continued commitment to and advocacy for the Syrian people. Sincerely, Team AFS | |
