Damascus, Oct 10 (Prensa Latina) The efforts by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to politicize the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are dangerous, and the decision to broaden its mandate is illegal, said Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Tuesday. He also criticized the decision to broaden the OPCW mandate 'from the point of view of its content and the way it was approved as an organization', and reminded that only the United Nations Security Council may decide whether a country must be punished due to violations.
In late June, the OPCW approved, by 82 votes in favor and 24 against, the United Kingdom's proposal to extend the mandate of the agency and empower it to determine who are responsible for chemical attacks.
