Syria, Sarin and Cyprus: An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis is an updated version of an open letter, dated 9 May 2018, which was originally addressed to Theresa May MP, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (‘UK’). The author composed the original version after a joint US, UK and French operation completed in Syria on 14 April 2018. Each version highlights various dangers presented to the Republic of Cyprus (‘RoC’) and to the adjacent British Sovereign Base Areas (‘SBAs’) by the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Joint Operation in response and other factors, including the emerging phenomenon of poor air quality. An Addendum supplements this updated version. This pinpoints five salient developments since 9 May 2018. Each reinforces the author’s call—in his open letter—for the British Prime Minister to instigate an independent public inquiry with two main aims. One is to investigate how, why and with what consequences the atmosphere of the RoC and the SBAs has been adversely affected by toxic dust clouds and other sources of poor air quality since 2001. The other is to assess what can be done to address these matters, together with any other natural or man-made environmental threats, to the RoC and SBAs.