UNITED STATES NEWS

UN chief hopes Syria’s return to Arab League helps end war

May 8, 2023, 1:44 PM | Updated: 1:52 pm

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. chief expressed hope Monday that Syria’s return to the Arab League and its engagement with regional powers could spur progress in resolving the 13-year Syrian civil war, as Damascus faced pressure to be transparent about chemical weapons.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he believes the region “has a vital role to play in the search for settlement of the conflict,” which began with an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule in 2011 that was met with a violent crackdown. The civil war has killed nearly a half million people, and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.

Syria was reinstated in the 22-nation Arab League on Sunday after a 12-year suspension. It was a symbolic victory for Assad, who can join the group’s May 19 summit, though Western sanctions will continue to block reconstruction funds to the war-battered country.

Guterres’ comments challenged regional players to take a leading role in trying to get the Syrian government and opposition to negotiate an end to the war – something that succeeding U.N. envoys have been unable to do. The secretary-general said current special envoy Geir Peterson will “continue to work closely with all key actors,” according to his spokesman.

At the same time, Syria’s chemical weapons program remains a serious and contentious issue. A majority of the world’s nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog accuse Damascus of hiding activities, while its close ally Russia defends Assad’s actions.

Syria joined the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, in 2013 after being threatened with U.S. airstrikes in response to a chemical attack on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Damascus.

In an unprecedented vote in April 2021, members of the OPCW voted to suspend Syria’s voting rights as a punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas. Investigations by the OPCW twice blamed Syrian government forces for chemical attacks and found “reasonable grounds to believe” it was responsible for another attack.

At Monday’s monthly U.N. Security Council meeting on Syrian chemical weapons, U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu said Syria has failed to address “identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies” in its original declaration on its chemical program.

Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky, whose country is a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, accused the OPCW of being an “instrument” of the West and manipulating its investigations to blame Syria.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood criticized Damascus’ failures to answer the OPCW’s questions and “Russia’s shameless shielding of Syria’s defiant behavior,” which he said is leaving the Syrian people facing the prospect of further chemical weapons attacks.

He said Russia supported the Security Council resolution adopted in 2013 strongly condemning any use of chemical weapons in Syria and ordering it not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons. But now, he said, instead of supporting it, “Russia has chosen to attack the credibility and professionalism of the OPCW – undermining the U.N. Charter in the process.”

United States News

Associated Press

Suspect arrested after shooting at the Oklahoma State Fair injures 1, police say

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — One person was injured when shots were fired during an argument between two groups of people at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday, sending a crowd of people running for safety, police said. One person was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon after the evening shooting, Oklahoma […]

43 minutes ago

Associated Press

Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles dies after a motorcycle crash in Nashville. He was 29

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles died Saturday after a motorcycle crash in Nashville, according to police. He was 29. The one-time hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks drove his motorcycle through a stop sign early Saturday and hit the driver’s side of an SUV, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Hazing lawsuit filed against University of Alabama fraternity

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A student and his parents have filed a lawsuit against a University of Alabama fraternity, saying he suffered a traumatic brain injury while being hazed as a fraternity pledge earlier this year. The lawsuit filed last week accuses Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and others associated with it of fraud, negligence and […]

1 hour ago

This illustration provided by NASA depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at the asteroid Bennu. On Wedn...

Associated Press

NASA recovers asteroid samples in largest haul of material from beyond the moon

NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey.

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Louisiana man who fled attempted murder trial captured after 32 years on the run

ARCADIA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man who fled his 1991 trial for attempted murder has been arrested more than three decades later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico, authorities said. Greg Lawson, 63, was brought back to the United States on Thursday after being located in Mexico, the FBI said. Lawson was accused […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Former President Jimmy Carter makes appearance at peanut festival ahead of his 99th birthday

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, on Saturday made a surprise appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival in their Georgia hometown, the Carter Center wrote in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The former president and his wife are seen in a reposted video riding […]

2 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

UN chief hopes Syria’s return to Arab League helps end war