Fact Sheet: Syrian Regime Chemical Weapons Attacks

What is a “chemical weapon?” According to the U.N. Chemical Weapons Convention, a chemical weapon is any munition that "can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action." The Convention also defines as chemical weapons "Munitions or other delivery devices designed to deliver chemical weapons, whether filled or unfilled." Though Assad regime allies Iran and Russia had signed the Convention long before 2011, the Assad regime had not.

The Syrian Chemical Weapons Program Syria initiated a chemical weapons program in the 1970s, most likely in response to repeated defeats at the hands of its arch-rival Israel. Syria began an in-country chemical weapons program in 1971. On the eve of the 1973 War, the Egyptian government gave Syria its first batch of chemical weapons. The Soviet Union soon began providing decontamination equipment, while China provided MF-11 protective masks.

Following the Hama Massacre of 1982, Amnesty International alleged that the Assad regime had used cyanide gas against its opponents. Syria is estimated to have attained the ability to produce sarin gas in the 1980s and even more toxic VX nerve agents in the 1990s.i By the Syrian Revolution, the Assad regime had reportedly stockpiled over 1,000 tons of chemical agents alongside a wide range of delivery systems. Some analysts believe that the regime only intended to use chemical weapons in the event of a total military collapse.ii

U.S. "Red Lines" Regarding Chemical Weapons In July 2012, with Assad forces reeling after countrywide victories by the Free Syrian Army, regime foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Maqdisi confirmed for the first time that Syria held chemical weapons. One month later, President Barack Obama drew his infamous chemical weapons "red line":

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized." (August 20, 2012)

Between November and December 2012, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained clear evidence that Syrian armed forces were preparing chemical weapons for potential use, thereby crossing the red line of "chemical weapons being moved around."iii President Obama then modified his red line to include only deployment:

"I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad...The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. And if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable." (December 3, 2012)

Chemical Attacks and World Response Before Ghouta Dec 2012 -Jan 2013 -- On December 23, 2012, activists in Homs reported seven deaths due a poison gas released by the Assad regime. On January 15, 2013, a leaked State Department cable from Istanbul corroborates activists' accounts and stated that the attack had employed the chemical weapon Agent 15. One day later, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council claimed that the report was false.

March 2013 -- On March 14, 2013, allegations arose concerning a sarin gas weapons attack against the town of Khan al-Assal in Aleppo and an additional chemical attack against the Damascus suburb of Otaiba.iv Twenty- five people were killed. Both the Asad regime and the opposition denied responsibility for the attack.v The U.N. announced an upcoming investigation of possible chemical weapons usage in Syria.

March 24 - April 29, 2013 -- On March 24, activists reported 2 dead and 23 injured in a chemical attack on the Damascus suburb of Adra. On April 23, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 2 dead and 12 injured due to two gas bomb attacks on Aleppo. On April 29, a chemical weapons-laced aerial bombing in the town of Saraqib in Idlib killed 1 person and injured 7.vi

The Ghouta Chemical Attacks On the morning of August 21, 2013, hundredsvii of people were killed in a sarin gas attack in the Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. The attacks happened in and around Ein Tarma, Zamalka, Moadimiyah. The attack involved an organized strike over a large area that used rockets as dispersal units.viiiDoctors Without Borders reported that three hospitals within its network confirmed 355 people died and approximately 3,600 displayed symptoms of neurotoxic symptoms, while a U.S. government assessment placed the number of dead at 1,429.ix

An on-the-ground investigation by UN experts verified the chemical weapons attacks and suggested Assad's

responsibility. x Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as well as intelligence agencies in the US, the UK, France, Germany, and numerous other US allies, also held Assad responsible.

Plans began for limited airstrikes on Assad targets in retaliation for such a blatant violation of international norms and Obama's "red line." French airstrikes were scheduled to begin at 3AM on September 1, 2013, but Obama called French president Francois Hollande the evening before to delay the strikes so the operation could receive Congressional approval.

Congress members were widely opposed to airstrikes, however, so Obama instead signed a Framework for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons with Assad regime ally Russia. The Assad regime then joined the Chemical Weapons Convention. Despite some delays, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reports that 94% of the Assad regime's declared stockpiles were destroyed by August 2014.xi

Continued Regime Chemical Weapons Use: The OPCW said in a September 10, 2014 report that it had found compelling evidence that chemical weapons had been used "systematically and repeatedly" in Syria during the previous year and that allegations of their use were increasing.xii Several reports over the past year have presented “compelling information” that the Syrian regime has “repeatedly” used chlorine gas, even in barrel bombings.xiii

In particular, reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used on (northern Syrian villages) Kafr Zeita, al-Tamana and Tal Minnis in eight incidents within a 10-day period in April, and continue to be used throughout the country up through today.xiv There are reports that these chlorine attacks are used on a north-south axis along supply lines corresponding to regime losses and rebel advances.xv

End Notes:

http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/syria/chemical/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/02/syria-crisis-french-intelligence-assad Joby Warrick. 12/14/2012. The Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. "Intelligence on Syrian troops readying chemical weapons for use prompted Obama's warning,"

03/21/2013. Nuclear Threat Initiative, nti.org. "UN to Probe Syrian Chemical Arms Strike Claim," Global Security Newswire.

09/07/2013. "Russia claims Syria rebels used sarin at Khan al-Assal," BBC News. bbc.co.uk.

http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Timeline-of-Syrian-Chemical-Weapons-Activity 09/02/2013. Agence France Presse. “France says at least 281 killed in Syria chemical attack. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Sep-02/229697-france-says-at-least-281-killed-in-syria-chemical- attack.ashx#axzz3IDCZmb36

07/2014. Nuclear Threat Initiative. nti.org. Country Profiles: Syria’s Chemical Weapons.

08/24/2013. "Syria: Thousands Suffering Neurotoxic Symptoms Treated in Hospitals Supported by MSF," Doctors Without Borders. doctorswithoutborders.org; See Also: 08/30/2013. "Government Assessment of the Syrian Government's Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013," The White House. whitehouse.gov.

Bouckaert, Peter. 09/2013. Human Rights Watch Report. Attacks on Ghouta: Analysis of Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria. ISBN: 978-1-6231-30534.

Patel, Faiza. 10/16/2014. The Brennan Center for Justice. “Its Time to do Something About Syria’s Other Chemical Weapons.”

Daragahi, Borsou. 10/21/2014. Financial Times. ft.com. “Assad still using chemical weapons, say Syrian Rebels.” http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9e18f7e8-5460-11e4-84c6-00144feab7de.html?siteedition=intl#axzz3HMShQIzL

Higgins, Eliot. 05/22/2014. Brown Moses. brown-moses.blogspot.com “Three Chemical Barrel Bomb Attacks Reported on the day the UNSC’s Vote on Referring Syria to the ICC is Vetoed.” ; See also: Higgins, Eliot. 05/12/2014. Brown Moses. Brown-moses.blogspot.com. “Photographs from Daniele Raineri of Chemical Barrel Bombs in Syria.” ; See also: Bendavid, Naftali. 10/20/2014. “Ability to Punish Syria for Alleged Chlorine Weapons Use Limited, U.S. Says.”

Larson, Nina. 08/27/2014. The Daily Star. dailystar.com “Syria likely used chlorine gas eight times in April.” http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-27/268652-syria-likely-used-chlorine-gas-8-times-in-april- un.ashx#axzz3GskY1G7i

Montgomery, Katarina. 11/17/2014. Syria Deeply. syriadeeply.org. “Rebel Alliances Pose Threat to Assad in Damascus and Southern Syria.”