FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Russia Charges That the U.K. Is Violating the Chemical Weapons Convention
March 14, 2018 (EIRNS)—The British government is claiming that it is acting in a totally lawful manner with respect to its accusations against Russia on the poisoning of MI6 double agent, former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Col. Sergei Skripal, but the Russians are making a strong case that it’s not true.
Russia’s Ambassador to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin issued a very strong statement, posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website, during a meeting of the OPCW’s Executive Council in Brussels, on March 13. He said the British authorities’ allegations are “absolutely unacceptable” and that the British government should abandon the language of ultimatums “and return to the legal framework of the chemical convention, which makes it possible to resolve this kind of situation.” He said that if London has serious reasons to believe that Russia was involved in the poisoning
“we suggest that Britain immediately avail itself of the procedures provided for by paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention). They make it possible, on a bilateral basis, to officially contact us for clarifications regarding any issues that raise doubts or concerns.”
The Convention allows up to ten days for a member to respond to clarifications requested of it. “As such, the ultimatum’s demand that information be provided immediately, by the end of today, is absolutely unacceptable,” Shulgin said. May reported to the Commons on March 12 that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador and had given Russia 24 hours to “immediately provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok program ... by the end of tomorrow.”
Shulgin stressed that within the walls of the OPCW, one must use facts, not hysteria, and therefore, the Russians will demand, as is their right under the CWC, the material evidence of Russian involvement in the poisoning.
“Britain’s allegations that they have everything, and their world-famous scientists have irrefutable data, but they will not give us anything, will not be taken into account. For us, this will mean that London has nothing substantial to show, and all its loud accusations are nothing but fiction and another instance of the dirty information war being waged on Russia. Sooner or later, they will have to be held accountable for their lies.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also issued a statement charging that Britain is in violation of the CWC.
“The U.K. is in fact violating the Chemical Weapons Convention, pursuant to which it was obliged to deliver corresponding objective evidence, including samples of that agent, to the party that had fallen under suspicion.”
He said yesterday that Moscow has received no inquiry from the U.K. about the agent allegedly used in the Salisbury case.
