No representatives of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited Syria’s Khan Shaykhun where an alleged chemical attack took place, so the origin of samples the OPCW claims to have is unclear, said Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov.
OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu said earlier that sarin gas or a sarin-like substance had been used in the chemical weapons attack in Khan Shaykhun. He added that “the analytical results already obtained are incontrovertible.”
According to Konashenkov, “in the past two weeks, not a single OPCW representative was seen there.” “Where do these samples come from? Who of the OPCW members was able to study them so fast while standard procedures stipulate a complex research which requires time, as we can see in the case of mustard gas use in Aleppo,” Konashenkov said.
The Russian Defense Ministry wants the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to explain how members of the White Helmets (an organization positioning itself as a human rights campaigner) managed to stay unharmed by sarin in Khan Shaykhun, Defense Ministry spokesman said.
“If it is true that sarin was used in Khan Shaykhun, how can the OPCW then account for the fact the charlatans from the White Helmets organization were hustling and bustling inside sarin clouds with no protective gear on? Everybody could see that. Ahmed Uzumcu should provide comprehensible answers to these questions as soon as possible,” Konashenkov said.
“Although independent experts do not believe that anyone could have remained unharmed in a sarin gas attack, nevertheless, maybe Mr. Uzumcu has created his own periodic table of elements instead of Mendeleev’s one?” Konashenkov added.