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UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS
STORY: UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS
TRT: 02:41
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
DATELINE: 13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY/ RECENT
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2. Pan left, Russian Ambassador approaching the stakeout
FILE, NEW YORK CITY
3. Close up, Reporter taking notes
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“There were terrorists who were apprehended in Turkey, according to those reports. Actually, even an investigation started, but for some reason that investigation ended. And in our view there could be a connection between this, because we are convinced that the terrorists were behind the use of sarin in August of 2013 and it could well be that the preparation was going on in the territory of Turkey; and more could have been done maybe in the course of that investigation to prevent the use of sarin in August. So that would apply to cases like this.”
FILE, NEW YORK CITY
5. Close up, Reporter typing
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“I’ve not heard anybody claim that the Syrian government is building new chemical weapons. And I’ve not (heard) anybody claim that they are concerned that the Syrian government may use chemical weapons in a subway in a European city, although things are happening with the terrorists. We know that they are playing with those things, that they are building those things. We know that there is a strong concern that we reported thousands of them have moved to Europe. Could some of them have brought components of chemical weapons? Could some of them have brought to a European city or European countries their knowledge of how to build chemical weapons?”
FILE, NEW YORK CITY
7. Close up, Reporter taking notes
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“This is one of the core issues, you know. How can you distract from a core issue? I mean, God forbid, a horrible scenario, a month from now, there is the use of chemical weapons brought out of Syria somewhere in Europe, in the United States, in whatever. And they will ask ‘why haven’t you done anything about it?’ We’ll say because we thought it would be a distraction. You know? The answer is not good enough. Simply, this one of the gravest threats there is and since we have identified a certain gap in our current system, in our efforts, we need to fill this gap. It’s as simple as that.”
FILE, NEW YORK CITY
9. Close up, Reporter taking notes
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“Practically speaking, even though terrorists can come up with all things practically anywhere, the greatest threat is ISIL in Syria and Iraq, where they have acquired a very serious territorial foothold so they have the ability and space to do those things. So we start with first things first and then we see where we can go.”
FILE, NEW YORK CITY
11. Close up, Reporter taking notes
13 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
12. Pan right, Russian Ambassador leaving the stakeout
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters his government, together with China, has proposed today (13 Apr) a Security Council resolution that would target the use of chemical weapons by terrorist organizations.
Churkin said recent reports of the use, as well as the building and preparation, of chemical weapons by terrorist organization in Syria and Iraq represent a “missing link” in the documents which have so far been adopted by the Security Council on the issue. He noted that a provision of the Security Council resolution which destroyed the “entire Syrian chemical arsenal”, which requires countries to report “the possession of chemical weapons by non-state actors” to the Security Council, has not been operational.
The draft "reiterates, once again, that member states, in particular Member States neighbouring the Syrian Arab Republic, shall immediately report the actions by non-state actors to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer, or use chemical weapons and their means of delivery to the Security Council and to the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM)."
Churkin also said this may be seen as a limited step but can serve as a deterrent if terrorists plan to use chemical weapons. He said terrorist have used chemical weapons and tried to blame the Syrian government.
Commenting on the use of sarin gas in August 2013, Churkin said prior to the attack “there were terrorists who were apprehended in Turkey, according to those reports. Actually, even an investigation started, but for some reason that investigation ended.” He added, “In our view there could be a connection between this, because we are convinced that the terrorists were behind the use of sarin in August of 2013 and it could well be that the preparation was going on in the territory of Turkey.” Churkin also said “more could have been done maybe in the course of that investigation to prevent the use of sarin in August. So that would apply to cases like this.” He added that the proposed draft however would focus on more recent cases of the use of chemical weapons and would not look back to that particular situation.
The Russian ambassador noted that the entire process is covered when it comes to the Syrian government. He said, “I’ve not heard anybody claim that the Syrian government is building new chemical weapons. And I’ve not (heard) anybody claim that they are concerned that the Syrian government may use chemical weapons in a subway in a European city, although things are happening with the terrorists.”
He added however that “thousands” of terrorists have moved to Europe and asked “could some of them have brought components of chemical weapons? Could some of them have brought to a European city or European countries their knowledge of how to build chemical weapons?” Churkin said, “Obviously this is a clear and present threat.”
The Russian representative noted that the greatest threat is ISIL in Syria and Iraq, “where they have acquired a very serious territorial foothold so they have the ability and space to do those things.”
Asked if this could be seen as a distraction from the peace process going on in Syria, Churkin said “this is one of the core issues.”
He also said, “God forbid, a horrible scenario, a month from now, there is the use of chemical weapons brought out of Syria somewhere in Europe, in the United States, in whatever. And they will ask ‘why haven’t you done anything about it?’ We’ll say because we thought it would be a distraction. You know? The answer is not good enough.”
He stressed that the use of chemical weapons by a terrorist organization is “one of the gravest threats there is” and “since we have identified a certain gap in our current system, in our efforts, we need to fill this gap. It’s as simple as that.”
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