UNITED
NATIONS,
July 11 –
Speaking to
the press
about chemical
weapons in
Syria for the
second time in
three days,
Russia's
Permanent
Representative
Vitaly Churkin
on Thursday
slammed the
planned leak
of Permanent
Five Security
Council
members'
failed
negotiation of
a resolution.
Churkin
said the UK's
Mark Lyall
Grant convened
the five
Permanent
members to
discuss a
draft
resolution
which would
track the G8
statement as
to chemical
weapons. But,
Churkin
argued, that
statement
envisioned the
team led by
Ake Sellstrom
coming up with
a report for
the Council to
review and
then act on.
The
British drive
on the wrong
side of the
road, Churkin
jokes, and
they got the
order here
wrong as well.
His criticism,
however, was
of the
immediate
leaking “to
the first
journalist”
around, that
Russia blocked
it. Churkin
said he had
the permission
of China's Li
Baodong to say
China's
position was
identical to
Russia's on
this.
Churkin
similarly
criticized US
State
Department
spokesperson
Jennifer Psaki
saying that
Russia was
blocking
Sellstrom's
probe, saying
this is
misleading
about the
Security
Council's role
in the probe.
He reminded
that it was
Syria which
asked for the
probe in the
first place,
of the Khan
al-Asal deadly
incident in
March.
Inner
City Press
asked Churkin
if too much
time has gone
by for
Sellstrom or
anyone else to
make
meaningful
conclusions
based on a
visit to Khan
al Asal now.
Churkin
replied that
since the team
keeps pushing,
they must feel
it or
something is
possible.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Churkin
whatever
happened with
Carla Del
Ponte, who
said there
were strong
suspicions of
rebel chemical
weapon use,
then
essentially
disappeared.
This
perspective
was not in the
Commission of
Inquiry's
report, and it
was Paulo
Pinheiro and
Karen AbuZayd
who presented
it, both in
Geneva and New
York. Churkin
replied that
Del Ponte was
“very clear.”
But
the question
remains: where
is Carla Del
Ponte?
, 
