A rare show of unity
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The massacre in Syria in which hundreds of people were killed with chemical weapons was not the first in the region. But for the first time the world could witness the agony of the dying victims on TV. In a rare show of unity the UN Security Council react
The Iranian people, who suffered most from chemical attacks, did not get the same attention. During the Iraq-Iran War, about 100,000 Iranian soldiers were victims of Iraq’s chemical attacks. Countless civilians were killed or needed lifelong treatment. It should not be ignored that the massacre in Syria could have been avoided if the WMD-free zone planned by the UN more than 20 years ago had been established.
The message is clear: decisive action needs to be taken. Countries should not be allowed to prevent important measures such as the WMD-free zone. Compliance with relevant UN sanctions must be compulsory. The work of the chemical-weapons inspectors in Syria should not remain an exceptional occurrence before the next disaster. The momentum is there. The international community has demonstrated unity. The time to act is now.
If you condemn the use of chemical weapons, you should also condemn the use of biological and nuclear weapons. Dismantle and scrap them. We need a world free from all weapons of mass destruction.
Manfred Liebig
Freiburg, Germany
