Does Syria have a chemical weapons stockpile?

Syria committed to eliminating its chemical weapons stockpile when it joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 but experts are skeptical that Syria declared all of its weapons for elimination.

Could Syria's chemical weapons fall into Islamist-led rebels?

Israeli officials have expressed concern that chemical weapons and other prohibited munitions and missiles that Syria had kept for decades could now fall into the hands of the Islamist-led rebels. Israeli forces have conducted air strikes across Syria with the aim of destroying strategic weaponry, including any remaining chemical weapons.

Why did Assad use chemical weapons in Syria?

Mr. al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons on rebel groups and civilians was a defining feature in the early days of Syria’s civil war, so much so that in 2012, then U.S. President Barack Obama warned that their continued use would cross a “red line” that would justify U.S. military intervention.

Did the US still use chemical weapons in Syria?

The United States, Britain and France responded by bombing three government-run chemical weapons storage and research facilities near Damascus. But U.S. Defense Department officials acknowledged that the Syrian government had most likely retained some of its ability to use chemical weapons.

Who is responsible for destroying Syria's chemical weapons?

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an international monitoring body, was given the task of destroying Syria’s chemical weapon stockpiles in 2013, an undertaking that helped it earn that year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Why are Israeli forces destroying chemical weapons in Syria?

Israeli forces have conducted air strikes across Syria with the aim of destroying strategic weaponry, including any remaining chemical weapons. The agents, which belong to a chemical group called organo-phosphorus compounds, block nerve impulses and are highly toxic with rapid effects.