Tag: opcw

OPCW: A Site of Struggle for Impartiality, Independence and International Legitimacy in War Crimes Investigations

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5 October 2019 — Tim Hayward

By Tim Hayward

The use of chemical weapons is a war crime. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) – signed by almost every nation[1] – aims to expunge their use from the face of our planet. Charged with implementing the Convention is the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Part of its task is to investigate such use when alleged to have occurred. It has played a particularly prominent role in relation to Syria since the US administration under President Obama declared the use of chemical weapons a ‘Red Line’ the transgression of which would trigger military intervention in the war.

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Has OPCW whistleblower helped prevent war with Iran? by Tim Hayward

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9 July 2019 — Tim Hayward

“If he’s right, the United States went to the brink of war on the basis of fraudulent information.”

So says President Trump’s adviser Tucker Carlson speaking on his Fox News show about Ian Henderson – he’s the OPCW engineering expert whose assessment of the alleged 2018 Douma chemical attack was recently leaked to the public. Carlson is credited with since having stayed the president’s hand in response to recent calls for retaliation against Iran. The vindication of Carlson’s earlier scepticism about the Douma allegations would not have been lost on the Commander in Chief. So even if the battle for his ear is not over, as the New York Times cautions, this is still encouraging news for those who – like the OPCW whistleblower who leaked the Henderson document – want to do the right thing and speak out with the truth even in the face of corruption and intimidation.

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The need for radically reformed governance at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) by Tim Hayward

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26 June 2019 — Tim Hayward

It was recently revealed that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had suppressed evidence about an alleged chemical attack in 2018. This scandal was downplayed in the mainstream media, but its implications are serious. The OPCW had already been losing the confidence of a number of states, including those of the Non-Aligned Movement as well as China and Russia. The organisation’s credibility has now been called into question in the eyes of all impartial observers.

Eminent American Scientist: Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack Was STAGED

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4 June 2019 — Washington’s Blog

Theodore A. Postol is one of the nation’s top scientists.  He is a  professor emeritus of science, technology, and national security policy at MIT.

Postol’s main expertise is in ballistic missiles. He has a substantial background in air dispersal, including how toxic plumes move in the air, and has taught courses on weapons of mass destruction – including chemical and biological threats – at MIT.

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On the OPCW response to the leaked engineers’ assessment

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29 May 2019 — Tim Hayward

On 13 May 2019 the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media (WGSPM) published a document received from an anonymous whistleblower at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The document’s findings run counter to the conclusion of OPCW’s official final report (1 March 2019) on the 2018 chemical incident in Douma – the one cited as pretext for French, US and UK forces to fire 103 missiles into Syria.

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The Damning Briefing note of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission on the chemical attack in Douma, Syria

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30 April 2019 — True Publica

The Damning Briefing note of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission on the chemical attack in Douma, Syria

If you are not up to date with what happened in Douma, or its significance, read Robert Fisk’s report via The Independent entitled – The search for truth in the rubble of Douma.

Then read the following briefing note by the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media below.

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The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): critical questions

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12 April 2019 — Tim Hayward

The Syria, Propaganda and Media Working Group has undertaken a detailed examination of the final report from the OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission on the alleged chemical attack in Douma on 7 April 2018. The resultant Briefing Note – by Paul McKeigue, David Miller, and Piers Robinson – exposes deep flaws in the anonymously authored report. These discredit OPCW as a source of impartial investigation and undermine it as an international institution fit to be entrusted with maintaining the prohibition of chemical weapons.

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