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| U.N. Investigators Say Syria Struck Aid Convoy and Call Act a War Crime | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| GENEVA — The Syrian Air Force deliberately bombed a United Nations humanitarian aid convoy in September in a “meticulously planned” attack that amounted to a war crime, United Nations investigators said on Wednesday in a report detailing a range of war crimes on both sides. | |
| The attack on the convoy, which killed 14 aid workers and stoked international outrage, was “one of the most egregious” in a five-month government offensive to take full control of Aleppo, a major Syrian city, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in the report, which it plans to present this month to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. | |
| Government aircraft carried out repeated attacks with barrel bombs laced with chlorine gas in the five months covered by the report, from July 21 to Dec. 22, violating an international ban on chemical weapons, the commission said. | Government aircraft carried out repeated attacks with barrel bombs laced with chlorine gas in the five months covered by the report, from July 21 to Dec. 22, violating an international ban on chemical weapons, the commission said. |
| For months, the Syrian and Russian air forces relentlessly bombarded eastern Aleppo as part of a strategy to force surrender,” the commission’s chairman, Paulo Pinheiro, told reporters in Geneva. He added: “The deliberate targeting of civilians has resulted in the immense loss of human life, including hundreds of children.” | |
| Armed opposition groups also committed war crimes by indiscriminately shelling residential areas of government-held Aleppo with inaccurate, improvised mortars, killing dozens of civilians, including women and children, the report said, adding that the rebels had also committed abuses against civilians in the areas they controlled. | Armed opposition groups also committed war crimes by indiscriminately shelling residential areas of government-held Aleppo with inaccurate, improvised mortars, killing dozens of civilians, including women and children, the report said, adding that the rebels had also committed abuses against civilians in the areas they controlled. |
| Russian aircraft joined the Syrians in conducting almost daily airstrikes over the five months in an indiscriminate bombing campaign that killed hundreds of civilians, and repeatedly targeted hospitals, water stations, markets and bakeries, suggesting “a willful disregard” for the international laws of war, the commission said. | Russian aircraft joined the Syrians in conducting almost daily airstrikes over the five months in an indiscriminate bombing campaign that killed hundreds of civilians, and repeatedly targeted hospitals, water stations, markets and bakeries, suggesting “a willful disregard” for the international laws of war, the commission said. |
| But the panel’s researchers found no information to support suggestions that Russia had used chemical weapons, and they did not receive sufficiently clear evidence to tie Russian forces to the war crimes detailed in the report. | But the panel’s researchers found no information to support suggestions that Russia had used chemical weapons, and they did not receive sufficiently clear evidence to tie Russian forces to the war crimes detailed in the report. |
| That finding underscored the difficult task that faced investigators as they compiled the report which drew on 291 interviews, many of them conducted remotely with former residents of Aleppo who were still in Syria. The report also drew on satellite imagery, medical records and communications with governments and nongovernmental organizations. | That finding underscored the difficult task that faced investigators as they compiled the report which drew on 291 interviews, many of them conducted remotely with former residents of Aleppo who were still in Syria. The report also drew on satellite imagery, medical records and communications with governments and nongovernmental organizations. |
| The commission’s report, its 13th on the conflict and one of the most hard-hitting, followed a directive by the Human Rights Council in October to identify those responsible for abuses in the battle for Aleppo and to speed the process of bringing perpetrators of war crimes to justice. | The commission’s report, its 13th on the conflict and one of the most hard-hitting, followed a directive by the Human Rights Council in October to identify those responsible for abuses in the battle for Aleppo and to speed the process of bringing perpetrators of war crimes to justice. |
| Just how hard that will prove to be was underscored on Tuesday, when Russia and China vetoed a resolution in the Security Council that would have punished Syria for its use of chemical weapons in 2014 and 2015 by imposing sanctions on some senior military officials and government bodies. | Just how hard that will prove to be was underscored on Tuesday, when Russia and China vetoed a resolution in the Security Council that would have punished Syria for its use of chemical weapons in 2014 and 2015 by imposing sanctions on some senior military officials and government bodies. |
| The panel’s findings come at a sensitive moment: The United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is striving to persuade the Syrian government and the opposition to engage constructively in peace talks in Geneva. Mr. de Mistura wants the negotiations to focus on a process of political transition. | The panel’s findings come at a sensitive moment: The United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is striving to persuade the Syrian government and the opposition to engage constructively in peace talks in Geneva. Mr. de Mistura wants the negotiations to focus on a process of political transition. |
| A weekend suicide attack on Syrian military headquarters in the city of Homs had already raised a potential hurdle for talks, prompting government negotiators to insist that the issue of terrorism would top the agenda. They have used that position to stall discussion of political reforms in three previous rounds of Geneva peace talks. | A weekend suicide attack on Syrian military headquarters in the city of Homs had already raised a potential hurdle for talks, prompting government negotiators to insist that the issue of terrorism would top the agenda. They have used that position to stall discussion of political reforms in three previous rounds of Geneva peace talks. |
| The Commission of Inquiry’s unequivocal finding of war crimes committed by both Syrian government forces and the opposition could further complicate Mr. de Mistura’s quest for compromise. | The Commission of Inquiry’s unequivocal finding of war crimes committed by both Syrian government forces and the opposition could further complicate Mr. de Mistura’s quest for compromise. |
| In its account of the aid convoy attack, the commission went much further than a board of inquiry set up by former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The board’s full findings were not made public but its summary report released in December confirmed only that the convoy had been bombed from the air and it did not identify the attackers. | In its account of the aid convoy attack, the commission went much further than a board of inquiry set up by former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The board’s full findings were not made public but its summary report released in December confirmed only that the convoy had been bombed from the air and it did not identify the attackers. |
| The Commission of Inquiry said the types of munitions used, the wide extent of the area targeted and the long duration of the assault “strongly suggest the attack was ruthlessly carried out by the Syrian Air Force to purposefully hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid and target aid workers, constituting the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid and targeting civilians.” | The Commission of Inquiry said the types of munitions used, the wide extent of the area targeted and the long duration of the assault “strongly suggest the attack was ruthlessly carried out by the Syrian Air Force to purposefully hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid and target aid workers, constituting the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid and targeting civilians.” |
| The 31-truck convoy organized by the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been carrying food, medicine, children’s clothes and other humanitarian supplies destined for families in opposition-controlled areas and had been traveling with the government’s knowledge and permission. | The 31-truck convoy organized by the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been carrying food, medicine, children’s clothes and other humanitarian supplies destined for families in opposition-controlled areas and had been traveling with the government’s knowledge and permission. |
| The attack came an hour after the Syrian military declared an end to a fragile, week-old cease-fire and was carried out in three stages by helicopters and Sukhoi fighter jets, the commission reported. Helicopters dropped barrel bombs, then fighter jets attacked with rockets, cluster munitions and other high explosive munitions, the commission said. | The attack came an hour after the Syrian military declared an end to a fragile, week-old cease-fire and was carried out in three stages by helicopters and Sukhoi fighter jets, the commission reported. Helicopters dropped barrel bombs, then fighter jets attacked with rockets, cluster munitions and other high explosive munitions, the commission said. |
| After exhausting supplies of those weapons, the aircraft returned to strafe the area with machine guns. No international coalition aircraft were using weapons within 50 kilometers, about 35 miles, of the attack, and no Russian aircraft were nearby, the report said. | After exhausting supplies of those weapons, the aircraft returned to strafe the area with machine guns. No international coalition aircraft were using weapons within 50 kilometers, about 35 miles, of the attack, and no Russian aircraft were nearby, the report said. |
| The Syrian Air Force carried out strikes on eastern Aleppo using chlorine bombs throughout 2016, the commission reported, but its investigators said, they had received “an alarming number” of accusations of the use of the chemical after September, as the battle for Aleppo intensified. | The Syrian Air Force carried out strikes on eastern Aleppo using chlorine bombs throughout 2016, the commission reported, but its investigators said, they had received “an alarming number” of accusations of the use of the chemical after September, as the battle for Aleppo intensified. |
| Chlorine, a common industrial chemical that can kill, is not by itself illegal. But the Chemical Weapons Convention forbids the use of such toxins to kill or injure. | Chlorine, a common industrial chemical that can kill, is not by itself illegal. But the Chemical Weapons Convention forbids the use of such toxins to kill or injure. |
| The commission presented details of attacks that took place in September, October and December, some targeting hospitals and health facilities, observing that the government’s use of chemical weapons had followed the pattern of such attacks in 2014 and 2015. | The commission presented details of attacks that took place in September, October and December, some targeting hospitals and health facilities, observing that the government’s use of chemical weapons had followed the pattern of such attacks in 2014 and 2015. |
| The commission said “Syrian and/or Russian forces” had “pervasively used” cluster munitions, which release hundreds of small bomblets, as well as other banned munitions such as incendiary weapons. The use of those indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas constituted a war crime, the commission said, but investigators did not receive the hard proof of the Russian forces’ involvement in specific strikes that was needed to tie them to war crimes. | The commission said “Syrian and/or Russian forces” had “pervasively used” cluster munitions, which release hundreds of small bomblets, as well as other banned munitions such as incendiary weapons. The use of those indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas constituted a war crime, the commission said, but investigators did not receive the hard proof of the Russian forces’ involvement in specific strikes that was needed to tie them to war crimes. |
| “We continue to investigate and we will attribute if and when we can prove it but we are not in a position to do this,” Mr. Pinheiro said. | “We continue to investigate and we will attribute if and when we can prove it but we are not in a position to do this,” Mr. Pinheiro said. |
| As pro-government forces moved into eastern Aleppo in the closing stages of their offensive, some forces carried out summary executions, including reprisals in which Syrian soldiers killed family members who had supported rebel groups, the commission said, but it did not find evidence of a massacre or of widespread killings. | As pro-government forces moved into eastern Aleppo in the closing stages of their offensive, some forces carried out summary executions, including reprisals in which Syrian soldiers killed family members who had supported rebel groups, the commission said, but it did not find evidence of a massacre or of widespread killings. |
| In addition to the opposition’s continuous and indiscriminate shelling of government-held western Aleppo, the commission said some armed rebel groups had committed abuses against the population under their control. | In addition to the opposition’s continuous and indiscriminate shelling of government-held western Aleppo, the commission said some armed rebel groups had committed abuses against the population under their control. |
| Rebels prevented civilians in some districts of eastern Aleppo from leaving, in effect keeping them as human shields. As pro-government forces tightened a siege on the east, some rebel groups withheld scarce supplies of food for their followers and family members, which was also a war crime, the commission said. | Rebels prevented civilians in some districts of eastern Aleppo from leaving, in effect keeping them as human shields. As pro-government forces tightened a siege on the east, some rebel groups withheld scarce supplies of food for their followers and family members, which was also a war crime, the commission said. |