Strike on Syria may unleash more turmoil, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns

CBS News/Associtated Press

3 SEPTEMBER, 2013

“As I have repeatedly said, the Security Council has primary responsibility for international peace and security,” Ban said at a news conference. “The use of force is lawful only when in exercise of self-defense in accordance with article 51 of the United Nations Charter and or when the Security Council approves such action.

He also warned that a military strike against Syria could unleash more turmoil and bloodshed in a crisis that has already killed more than 100,000 people.

“I take note of the argument for action to prevent a future use of chemical weapons. At the same time, we must consider the impact of any punitive measure on efforts to prevent further bloodshed and facilitate the political resolution of the conflict,” Ban said.

Ban did not blame any party for the alleged attack on a Damascus suburb, saying that “If confirmed, any use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances will be a serious violation of international law and an outrageous war crime.”

“Whatever the source, this latest allegation should be as wakeup call for the international community,” Ban said.

He stressed that an ongoing investigation by U.N. chemical weapons experts “is uniquely placed to independently establish the facts in an objective and impartial manner.”

“Our common humanity compels us to ensure that chemical weapons do not become a tool of war or terror in the 21st century,” he said. “Any perpetrators must be brought to justice. There should be no impunity.”

“At this particular moment it’s the highest number of displaced people anywhere in the world,” he told reporters in Geneva. “Syria has become the great tragedy of this century — a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history.”

Welcoming the statement, Ribal Al-Assad, said:

“I completely agree with the U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, any military intervention by the international community will have grave repercussions for both Syria and the region at large.

I also agree that the international community must establish the facts before deciding to a course of action – I, like many others, fail to understand how some countries are proposing military intervention based on a “high confidence” of facts presented – this seems to be completely irresponsible.

We need to establish concrete facts and the U.N. Weapons Inspectors must be allowed to conclude their report.

The aim of the international community in the mean time should be to stop the violence and try to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict; with this in mind I fail to see how more bloodshed will solve anything, especially when the risk of regional war is so high.

I urge the international community to take heed of the Secretary Generals words, as I have previously said, there is no room for error here, the stakes are too high.”