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Damascus Reveals Secret Chemical Weapons Sites of Previous Regime to "Chemical Weapons Prohibition Organization"
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The Syrian authorities' move toward revealing undeclared chemical weapons sites represents an important step in their quest to escape international sanctions and rebuild trust with the international c
For the first time, Syrian authorities accompanied chemical weapons inspectors to previously unseen production and storage facilities dating back to Bashar al-Assad's rule, whose regime fell three months ago, according to sources that spoke to Reuters on Friday.
A team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited Syria from March 12 to 21 to prepare for locating and destroying the remnants of Assad's illegal stockpile. The inspectors examined five sites, some of which had been looted or bombed, including facilities that Assad's government had not disclosed to the organization, according to their statements.
The team was given access to detailed documents and data related to Assad's chemical weapons program, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information.
The agency stated in a brief summary of the visit published online: "The interim Syrian authorities provided all possible support and cooperation within a short deadline."
The agency added that the OPCW was provided with security escorts and granted "unlimited access" to sites and individuals, without revealing any additional details.
This cooperation reflects a substantial improvement in relations compared to the past decade, during which Syrian officials under Assad obstructed the work of OPCW inspectors.
A diplomatic source familiar with the file emphasized that the visit demonstrates that Syria's interim caretaker government is committed to its promise to cooperate with the international community to destroy Assad's chemical weapons.
Reuters had noted on Tuesday that destroying any remaining chemical weapons was among the requirements listed by the United States for Syria if it wished to ease sanctions.
Three investigations—conducted by a joint mechanism between the United Nations and the OPCW, the OPCW's Investigation and Identification Team, and the UN's war crimes investigation—concluded that Syrian government forces under Assad used sarin nerve gas and explosive chlorine barrels in attacks during the civil war that killed or injured thousands.
Assad and his Russian military supporters have long denied using chemical weapons in the conflict that erupted in 2011 and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Syria joined the agency under Assad's leadership following a US-Russian agreement in the wake of a 2013 sarin gas attack that killed hundreds, resulting in the destruction of approximately 1,300 metric tons of chemical weapons and their precursors.
OPCW experts believe undeclared stockpiles still exist and are looking to visit more than a hundred sites where Assad's forces are suspected of having manufactured or stored these weapons.
The OPCW is preparing to open a field office in Syria, where recent increases in violence have raised growing security concerns.
It is worth noting that the OPCW is a treaty-based organization headquartered in The Hague with 193 member states, tasked with implementing the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
