S/2017/655 - Letter from Syria informing that ISIL possesses large quantities of chemical weapons in Raqqah.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2017/730

Distr.: General
24 August 2017
English
Original: Arabic

Identical letters dated 22 August 2017 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

On instructions from my Government, I should like to draw your attention to the following:

As part of the ongoing efforts of the Syrian Arab Republic to uncover evidence proving that armed terrorist groups possess toxic chemicals and that terrorists have used such substances in various areas of Syria, and further to our previous letters, which contained copious information on that issue, we have received information that the terrorist organization Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in the city of Raqqah possesses large quantities of chemical weapons (nerve gas, ricin, chlorine and sulphur dioxide), acquired under the supervision of the American Paul Cortez (Abu Kamit). Cortez, also known as Abu al-Kimiya, was accused of murder and rape in Iraq in 2003. According to this information, the terrorist organization plans to use those substances when the battle of Raqqah nears its end.

The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates that those terrorist organizations would not have been able to acquire such toxic chemicals and use them whenever and wherever they liked without the support of certain States. We stress that such practices will not deter us from our continuing efforts to defend our homeland and expose the methods of those conspiring against it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates hopes that the Security Council will treat these issues with the seriousness they deserve and expose those States that have provided such capabilities to terrorist groups for their despicable ends. The actions of those States will ultimately lead to such weapons falling into the hands of terrorist groups, and later, an accusatory finger will be pointed at those Governments that spare no effort in fighting terrorism and preventing terrorists from acquiring chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, which pose a significant threat to global security and stability and the future of all humankind.

I should be grateful if the present letter could be issued as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Mounzer Mounzer
Chargé d'affaires a.i.
Minister Plenipotentiary

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24Aug17

Letter from Syria informing that ISIL possesses large quantities of chemical weapons in Raqqah