By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syrian opposition activists claim that the Syrian regime carried out a massive chemical attack in Ghouta, a suburb of the capital, Damascus, killing hundreds of people. Al Jazeera’s Nisreen El-Shamayleh reported that videos capturing the alleged attack showed children and adults in field hospitals, some of them suffocating and coughing.

Chemical weapons experts have said that the symptoms of the victims shown on the footage could indicate the use of a nerve agent. Dina Esfandiary of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said, “By looking at the videos, you can tell that some of the victims are suffering from asphyxiation. They don’t have any external wounds, so it’s consistent with the use of a chemical agent.” She said that it is difficult to determine what actually happened at the site of the alleged attack without physical samples.

Leaders of the international community are demanding that the Syrian government immediately allow United Nations inspectors onto the site of the alleged chemical attacks, which have killed as many as 1,800 people.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the Syrian government to allow the team of U.N. inspectors already in Syria to investigate alleged chemical weapons attacks at three unrelated sites. He has said that the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime should be investigated immediately. He also said there is “no time to waste” in getting an inspection team to Ghouta.

The Secretary-General said that the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad’s regime would constitute a crime against humanity. He warned the Syrian regime of “serious consequences” that will follow if their use of chemical weapons against their own people was proven.

Russia, which has maintained support for the Al-Assad regime, has called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the United Nation’s experts in Syria to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry after the reports first emerged Wednesday, that the “Russian side called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the UN chemical experts,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said that what has occurred in Syria “indicates that this is clearly a big event, of grave concern.” He said that the international community must determine more about whether a chemical weapons attack has occurred and has called for the al-Assad regime to allow for a full investigation.

The United Kingdom and France have also issued strong statements demanding U.N. investigators be granted access to the attack sites.

Despite the International community’s collective demands for an investigation, the U.N has yet to authorize investigator’s to go to Ghouta, Kevin Kennedy, acting head of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security told reporters at the U.N. headquarters on Friday that he has not yet given the inspectors a green light to visit the sites of the alleged attacks, citing extreme violence in the region. Kennedy said, “It’s an active war zone in Damascus.”

For further information please see;

Al Jazeera – Hundreds reported killed in Syria gas attack – 21 August 2013

Foreign Policy – Congress’ Doves Rethinking U.S. Intervention After Syria’s ‘Chemical’ Attacks – 22 August 2013

Al Jazeera – New footage emerges of Syria ‘gas attack’ – 23 August 13

Al Jazeera – Russia backs UN probe of Syria attack – 23 August 2013

CNN International – Official: US military updates options for possible strikes on Syria – 23 August 2013

CNN International – Syria under pressure to allow urgent probe of chemical weapons claim –23 August 2013

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Dozens of civilian protesters were killed across Egypt as security forces clashed with protesters. At least 95 people were killed and hundreds more injures in Cairo’s Ramses Square after Egyptian security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters orchestrating a “Day of Rage” against the military-led government.

In Alexandria, at least 21 people were killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of the military coup. More people were reportedly killed across the country, with at least eight protesters being killed in Damietta and four in Ismailia.

The Muslim Brotherhood and other anti-coup groups, calling themselves the Anti-Coup Alliance, had called for the “Day of Rage” protests on Friday to protest the Egyptian military’s crackdown on sit-in demonstrations that left hundreds of civilians killed on Wednesday, August 14. The Muslim Brotherhood denied any involvement in these attacks.

Said Mohammed, an anti-government protester, reportedly witnessed snipers and men in helicopters gun down people in the crowds. “Helicopters started to shoot us as we were walking,” he said. “Not bombs this time, it was bullets. My friend took a shot in the neck and he died. This was the first time we saw helicopters shooting. There were people shooting from the windows.”

As Egyptian forces cracked down on protests camps organized by the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, some Morsi supporters directed their anger at the nation’s Christian minority. Churches, houses, monasteries, orphanages, schools, businesses and other establishments belonging to Coptic Christians were attacked in nine provinces across the country. The Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic activist group, said Thursday that these attacks caused “panic, losses and destruction for no reason and no crimes they committed except being Christians.”

Bishop Angaelos, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, said that he was told by colleagues in Egypt that 52 churches, in addition to Christian owned homes and business, were attacked in a 24-hour time period beginning Wednesday. Ishak Ibrahim, from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, reported that he has confirmed at least 30 of these attacks.

Two days before Wednesday’s violence, Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II called on all Egyptians for peace in Egypt and for all Egyptians to prevent further bloodshed. He said, “With all compassion I urge everyone to conserve Egyptian blood and ask of every Egyptian to commit to self-restraint and avoid recklessness and assault on any person or property.”

Egypt’s violence has been condemned by the international community. U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the actions of Egypt’s Intern government and called for it to end the month long state of emergency that was put in place by the intern government following Wednesday’s violent crackdown on civil protests. In response to the violence in Egypt, President Obama cancelled a planned joint military exercise in protests of the state’s bloody clashes with civilians protesting the ouster of former President Morsi, suggesting a growing right between the historic allies.

For further information please see:

Al Jazeera – Scores Dead in Egypt’s ‘Day of Rage’ Clashes – 16 August 2013

NBCNews – Obama Condemns Egypt over Violence, Cancels Joint Military Exercise – 15 August 2013

USA Today – Egypt’s Christians under Attack Since Morsi’s Ouster – 15 August 2013

CNN International – ‘Horrible’: Christian Churches across Egypt Stormed, Torched – 1 August 2013

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have confirmed that late Wednesday night the two sides resumed peace talks during a secret meeting in Jerusalem. The peace talks are the first between the two sides in three years.

The general purpose of the talks is to negotiate a final end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The main solution that the parties have focused on is a two-state agreement that allows for the existence of Palestine and Israel side-by-side.

An anonymous Israel official described the talks as “long and serious,” but did not describe the substance of the talks. The specifics of the talks are expected to be kept private because both parties believe that it increases their chance of success.

The Palestinian side is represented by Saeb Erekat and Fatah official Muhammed Shtayyeh. Israeli is represented by Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni and prime ministerial aide Isaac Molcho.

Tzipi Livn posted on Facebook regarding the peace talks:

“Today, I will continue the important mission I began – to achieve a peace agreement that will keep the country Jewish and democratic and provide security … for Israel and its citizens.”

Leading up to the peace talks both parties have made gestures of good faith. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel freed twenty-six Palestinians, many of whom had been imprisoned for deadly attacks on Israelis. Additionally, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dropped demands for an Israeli settlement freeze before talks resumed.

Although the news of peace talks generally breeds optimism, members of both side seemed to cast doubt over any chances of success.

“Israel will resort to feints and evasion and put up impossible demands in order to say that these negotiations are fruitless and to continue its policy of stealing land as it has done until this moment,” said Yasser Abed Rabbo. “The talks might collapse any time because of the Israeli practices.”

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said, “We’ve been trying for 20 years since Oslo, and for over 120 years of the conflict. The scepticism in the tone of my remarks is apparent, but we’ve decided to give it a chance.”

“Both for the Palestinians and for us, the hourglass is running out. We will not have many more opportunities to resolve this dispute,” said Israeli cabinet minister Yaakov Peri.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Israel-Palestinian peace talks resume – 15 August 2013

BBC – Israel-Palestinian peace talks resume in Jerusalem – 15 August 2013

Jerusalem Post – Abbas: First round of peace talks dealt with final-status issues  – 15 August 2013

Reuters – Analysis: Abbas chooses unpopular peace talks over bruising U.N. battles – 15 August 2013