On February 22, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) released a report concluding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that on September 1, 2015, during sustained attacks aimed at capturing the town of Marea, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) deployed sulfur mustard.
The report finds that at least 11 individuals encountered liquid substances from projectiles fired by ISIL and experienced symptoms consistent with exposure to sulfur mustard. These findings are in line with the United States’ own assessment of the incident.
The United States commends the impartial and independent work of the IIT. Its latest report further illustrates the need for the OPCW to retain the IIT’s unique investigative expertise, which plays a crucial role in upholding the global norm against the use of chemical weapons.
The United States encourages the international community to strengthen cooperation in preventing the acquisition of chemical weapons by terrorists and make clear that there will be no impunity for the use of chemical weapons by anyone.