Islamic Iran asks for justice against donators of chemical weapons to Saddam

IRI Ambassador and representative to Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons asked for putting to trail donators of chemical weapons to ousted Iraqi dictator’s regime, stressing Iran is greatest victim of their usage.

According to IRNA, Kazem Qaribabadi who was speaking at the opening session of 16th Annual Conference of the Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons added, ‘The former Iraqi regime used the chemical weapons donated to it by the United States and its western allies in its invasion against Iran, and the Islamic Republic of Iran demands that the providers of those inhumane weapons would be brought to international courts of justice.’
He pointed out that adopting effective measures against such individuals would send a strong message indicating that punishing those that commit such crimes is inescapable.
Qaribabadi said, ‘The world nations have still not forgotten that catastrophic event and its vast and painful aftermaths, in which 13 thousand innocent people were martyred and over 100 thousand more suffered horrendous injuries.’
He also asked that the culprits in committing such crimes would not enjoy immunity, arguing, ‘We are living at an era of changes, and we believe in the need for remaining faithful to the fundamental objectives of the Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons Treaty.’
The ambassador and permanent representative of Iran at the Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons pointed out that during the past 100 yeas millions of innocent civilians have lost their lives as victims of the aggressive and expansionist policies pursued by certain countries.
He added, ‘Serious and broad scale efforts have been made to avoid the outbreak of wars and to safeguard peace, including the non-proliferation treaties, abiding by which is more than any other factor dependant on the ruling values and fundamentals in various countries.’
Iran’s representative emphasized that allocation of a superior status to one country atop the rest just because it is more powerful is a recipe for breeding dictators, and for respecting anarchism.
He reiterated, ‘If the rule of force would replace the rule of laws in the world as a rule and a norm, the international peace and justice would most probably be the first victim of such a process.’
Qaribabadi pointed out that fortifying the international peace and security depends in the first place on comprehensive efforts aimed at ensuring safe living conditions for everyone through observation of broader international regulations.
He pointed out that so far numerous efforts have been made aimed at devising such sets of rules and regulations and annihilation of weapons of mass destruction, including the chemical weapons, but such weapons still exist.’
According to him, the present day people live under constant fear of the usage of the weapons of mass destruction and under such conditions ignoring the commitments regarding non-proliferation are not only breaching the laws, but also highly hazardous.
The Iranian envoy pointed out that the global awakening is in the making and it would lead to deep changes within the international community, adding, ‘Demands for change have started in Europe and in America and the people are fed up and dissatisfied with ignoring of their basic rights and the injustice and inequality observed by their politicians.’
He emphasized that the Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons, too, must hear the message of those movements and their demands, and to serve as a symbol for observing equality among all its member countries, not permitting the rich and the poor within it to enjoy different rights.
Qaribabadi added, ‘All members of the conventions have vowed not to have research, proliferation, and production programs, or use the chemical weapons, and to totally annihilate them within 15 years.’
He pointed out that the Chemical Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty has taken shape in the general field of non-proliferation, reiterating, ‘The main objective of this convention is annihilation of the entire weapons within a certain period of time, so that in a world free from chemical weapons peace and security would prevail.’
He said that the deadline for destroying the entire remaining chemical weapons is April 29th, 2012, and that is an unbreakable, undeniable commitment in accordance with chemical conventions, which has been vowed by all signatories based on their free wills.
The Iranian envoy referred to the US emphases that it cannot annihilate its entire stockpiles of chemical weapons within the set date, arguing, ‘This is a clear case of breaching the international conventions and under such conditions the international community has the right to ask this organization the reason why it is so.’
He referred to the dark record of the United States in taking advantage of the weapons of mass destruction, saying, ‘That country has never remained committed to the need for refraining from the usage of WMDs, and its illegal and illegitimate moves aimed at preserving its stockpiles of chemical weapons is a serious threat against the international peace and stability.
‘The Americans aim at establishing another discrimination system at another international organization, and their strategy today is braking the existing harmony and cooperation among the member so the Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons,’ he said.
He also said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has rich experiences regarding confrontation with the usage of chemical weapons from the years of the imposed Iraqi war, which would share with every country in accordance with articles 10 and 11of the conventions with entire members of the convention.
Referring to the sensitivity of the Middle East region, he said, ‘In this region chemical weapons have been used and today the only remaining threat is the Zionist regime, which has stockpiles of all types of WMDs, including the nuclear and chemical weapons, and is the most horrendous threat against the regional and the international peace and security.’
The five day conference is held at The Hague city, of the Netherlands till this coming Friday.
The IRI representative at Organization for Non-Proliferation Chemical Weapons also said in Hague Wednesday at its emergency session USA has black record of using weapons of mass destruction, and has never signed treaty to commit itself to refrain from WMDs’ usage.
According to IRNA, Kazem Qaribabadi added in his address at the emergency meeting, ‘Washington meanwhile constantly keeps stockpiles of all types of WMD facilities and takes advantage of them at various time junctures as levers at the service of its illegitimate interests around the globe’.
He said that this is not the only case of the US breaching of the international conventions, adding, ‘We are also witnesses to the United States’ refraining, even from destroying of its chemical weapons, despite its vowed commitments’.
Qaribabadi added, ‘Washington has always been trying to deviate the Organization for Non-Proliferation Chemical Weapons from pursuing its main objective, and in order to weaken the just implementation of this convention, in the course of the negotiations always tries to deviate the and create gaps among the member states’.
He said, ‘In other words, the United States has in its agenda the establishment of another apartheid system within the international organizations and now too, in order to abolish the fundamental basics of cooperation and shared thinking at the Organization for Non-Proliferation Chemical Weapons, in which the decisions are adopted unanimously, the promises are made to keep, and the members’ participation is based on mutual commitment, spares no efforts for disturbing this ideal atmosphere’.
The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran referred to the April 29th, 2012 international moratorium for full annihilation of the entire chemical weapons, arguing, ‘We must all try our best to remain committed to that objective, and to beware that moving in deviated and different paths, for the Islamic Republic of Iran, and for many other members of this organization, would be totally unacceptable’.
He pointed out that refraining from annihilation of the stockpiles of chemical weapons and keeping them in the member countries, as well as the non-member countries, would be a threat for the international peace and security, reiterating, ‘The United States chants the slogan ‘solving the issue diplomatically’ and in order to escape from its commitments in accordance with the convention and from accountability before the international community, has resorted to immense efforts, which is very worrying and meanwhile very disheartening’.
Qaribabadi posed the question, ‘How come a country which has destroyed 90% of its weapons, even at the cost of weakening the only convention of international disarmament, and merely resorting to pretexts of security concerns and environmental threats, tries to keep the remaining 10%?’
He replied to his own affirmative question, ‘he United States has vowed commitment to destroy its entire chimerical weapons within the stated date, and no excuse is acceptable.’
According to him, the Islamic Republic of Iran and many other member countries of this convention, as well as the world public opinion, where there are serious questions and concerns in that respect.
The Iranian diplomat added, ‘We have serious doubts about the political will of the US Administration. The Iranian nation is a great victim of the weapons of mass destruction. This bitter experience was once tested on our nation and the Iraqi nation resorting to the donated weapons by the US and its allies to Saddam’s regime. We do not want that bitter and sorrowful experience to be repeated once again. We do not even want its threat to exist potentially.
Non-proliferation of chemical weapons or their precursors is one of the fundamental tenets of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This is embodied in Article I of the Convention; paragraph 1 of that Article states (inter alia)
‘Each State Party to this Convention undertakes never under any circumstances: (…) To assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.’
In the context of the chemical industry, the Convention addresses this aspect in Article VI. Paragraph 2 of Article VI states, ‘Each State Party shall adopt the necessary measures to ensure that toxic chemicals and their precursors are only developed, produced, otherwise acquired, retained, transferred, or used within its territory or in any other place under its jurisdiction or control for purposes not prohibited under this Convention. To this end, and in order to verify that activities are in accordance with obligations under this Convention, each State Party shall subject toxic chemicals and their precursors listed in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Annex on Chemicals, facilities related to such chemicals, and other facilities as specified in the Verification Annex, that are located on its territory or in any other place under its jurisdiction or control, to verification measures as provided in the Verification Annex’.
Courtesy: Declarations Advisor of the Organization for Non-Proliferation of Chemical Weapons, for parts of the declaration.