Banned chemical weapons have been used repeatedly during the Syrian conflict and in most cases, if not quite all of them, the Assad regime is the obvious suspect. By its own admission the regime had stockpiles of chemical weapons, and almost all the reported attacks struck rebel-held areas....
Blog archive: All
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18th January 2020
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17th January 2020On 6 June 2018, four staff from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons met a group of toxicologists in connection with the investigation of a suspected chlorine attack in Douma, Syria. As part of the investigation the OPCW initially proposed exhuming bodies from mass graves...
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2nd January 2020Many of the recent claims about "irregularities" in the OPCW's investigation of a suspected chemical attack in Syria revolve around an employee called Ian Henderson. His exact role has been a matter of dispute but now leaked documents give a clearer picture. * * * In a report last March the...
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23rd December 2019Recently-leaked documents disprove claims by a whistleblower that the OPCW doctored a draft report of its investigation into a suspected chemical attack in Syria. They also cast doubt on claims that the views of staff were systematically ignored. They do, however, confirm a dispute involving one...
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18th December 2019A column by Melanie Phillips in last week's issue of the Jewish Chronicle has been causing dismay both inside and outside Britain's Jewish community – so much so that on Tuesday the paper's editor issued an apology "to any reader who is angered or upset by the piece". He also promised two...
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17th December 2019Ten days ago, Newsweek reporter Tareq Haddad announced on Twitter that he had resigned from his job after editors rejected his "newsworthy revelations" for "no valid reason". Almost instantly – and without waiting to find out more – Twitter users and "alternative" websites rushed to support...
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15th December 2019A document released by WikiLeaks on Saturday shows that two key allegations reportedly made by the OPCW whistleblower are untrue. The whistleblower, known as "Alex", first surfaced at a closed meeting in Brussels two months ago. He claims there were "irregularities" in the OPCW's...
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11th December 2019Last October a whistleblower emerged from inside the OPCW alleging "irregularities" in its investigation of a suspected chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma. The whistleblower was said to have supporting evidence in the form of text messages, emails and "suppressed" draft reports...
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28th November 2019Amid preparations for a highly contentious presidential election in Algeria, the authorities have arrested Abdelhamid Amine, an artist who does satirical paintings and cartoons. Amine (@Nime_BD on Twitter) was taken into custody on Tuesday when plainclothes police raided his workplace in...
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25th November 2019For several weeks defenders of Syria's Assad regime have been chattering excitedly about the emergence of a whistleblower from inside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The whistleblower – known by the pseudonym "Alex" – is said to have emails, text messages and "...
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21st November 2019An anonymous whistleblower who recently emerged from inside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has spoken of "huge internal arguments" over one of its investigations in Syria. The whistleblower, known only as "Alex", says he was a member of the team investigating an...
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4th November 2019I don't often get emails from the Saudi government, but one arrived yesterday offering me $5,000. It came from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) which is looking for "collaborative input" on plans to transform the Saudi capital into "a sustainable, responsible, inspiring place to...
