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Syria Is Still Trying to Use Chemical Weapons

(Foreign Policy) Jack Detsch - "Despite having completed destruction of Syria's declared [chemical weapons] production facilities and stockpile of [chemical weapons] agent, the Assad regime continues to pursue chemical weapons and has used both chlorine and sarin on a number of occasions over the course of the conflict," the State Department reported to Congress this year. "We believe the Assad regime is seeking to reestablish strategic weapons production capabilities it lost in the course of the conflict and we continue to see Syrian procurement activity in support of its chemical weapons and missile programs." At the Security Council on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft accused Syria of breaching its obligation under the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN resolutions to dismantle its chemical weapons program. The U.S. attributes more than 50 instances of chemical weapons use to the Assad regime, mostly launched from aircraft and targeting civilians in residential neighborhoods, markets, and hospitals. The State Department further warned that Iran was exploiting the Syrian war to build up a coterie of multinational militia forces along border crossing routes and to fly armed drones into nearby Israel.
2020-10-08 00:00:00
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