The U.N – more useless than ever
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This could be a joke but it isn’t. If someone needed any proof that every dollar spent on maintaining the U.N is a waste of money it was served this week again.
The U.N headquarters in new York announced that weapons inspectors could finally be about to begin investigating claims that the regime in Syria has used chemical munitions during the country’s bloody civil war after a deal was struck to allow them into the country.
In a statement issued yesterday, the office of Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations’ Secretary-General, confirmed that an informal agreement concluded a fortnight ago, to let inspectors visit three sites in Syria, had been formally approved by Bashar al-Assad’s government in Damascus.
“The departure of the team is now imminent,” it said. “As agreed with the government of Syria the team will remain in the country to conduct its activities, including on-site visits, for a period of up to 14 days, extendable upon mutual consent.”
It is now expected that a team led by the Swedish scientist, Ake Sellstrom, will travel to Damascus in the coming days.
They will find nothing. The Assad regime, which has used chemical weapons against the country’s citizens has wiped out any trace of these deadly chemicals. The experts will come to Syria , will be interviewed on TV, check in a hotel if there is one left after the battles and begin its the useless task.
This is the way the U.N operates, too slow, too little, and in one word: useless.
In a report published in June, the UN said it had “reasonable grounds” to believe that chemical weapons had been used on four occasions in March and April but could not determine which side was behind them.
The report suggested that both sides – government troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and a number of the various rebel groups – were responsible for using chemical weapons.
“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,” said Paulo Pinheiro, who chaired the UN inquiry.
The UK and France have been adamant that small amounts of chemical weapons, particularly Sarin gas, and possibly also the nerve agent, VX, have been used by Assad’s forces.
So far, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
i-HLS Editor-in-Chief
