November 7, 2014

The United States Department of Defense yesterday confirmed that more than 600 American service members had been exposed to chemical weapon agents while serving in the Iraq War (2003-2011). The New York Times in October had published a detailed report about the exposures in which the writers suggested that the Defense Department had tried to conceal the facts.

In 2003, the administration of President George W. Bush accused Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of actively developing weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons. The presence of such weapon programs was the administration’s primary justification for invading Iraq.

A United Nations inspector in December 2002 examines dismantled equipment used during the 1980′s and 1990′s in Iraq’s chemical weapons program. American soldiers in Iraq were exposed to chemical agents left over from the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980′s. (Reuters/Getty Images)

After the invasion, United Nations weapons inspectors failed to find any evidence of active chemical or nuclear weapon programs. However, American soldiers found many chemical weapons that had been discarded after Iraq’s war against Iran in the 1980′s. Some of these dormant weapons had been manufactured with the help of western  countries, including the United States, which at the time supported Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran.

While disposing of these old munitions in Iraq in the wake of the invasion, a number of U.S. soldiers were exposed to such chemical agents as mustard gas and sarin. Others were exposed during attacks in which the insurgent groups al-Qai`da in Iraq used bombs loaded with Hussein’s discarded chemical agents. In The Times October article, the writers reported that U.S. military officials in Iraq had failed to adequately address these injuries and in some cases ordered victims not to discuss that they had been exposed to deadly agents. Yesterday, the Department of Defense confirmed the validity of The Times investigation and vowed to find and help affected veterans.

Additional World Book articles:

• Chemical Weapons Convention
• Islamic State
• Iraq 2002 (a Back in Time article)
• Chemical and Biological Terror (a special report)
• The War in Iraq: the Military Campaign and Aftermath (a special report)

August 20, 2014

A year-long project to destroy the deadliest chemical weapons in Syria’s military arsenal has been completed, United States President Barack Obama announced on August 18. The announcement came a few days before  the first anniversary of a 2013 chemical attack, allegedly by the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, that killed more than 1,400 Syrians civilians, including hundreds of children. The destruction of the chemicals, said President Obama, “sends a clear message that the use of these abhorrent weapons has consequences and will not be tolerated by the international community.” The Assad government has been fighting an open, armed rebellion since 2011.

The neutralization of Syria’s chemical weapons represents a major foreign policy achievement for President Obama, who had threatened military strikes against Syrian forces for their use of the weapons. That threat was put on hold in late September 2013 after Syria began reporting details of its chemical weapons stockpile as part of a deal brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The deal specified that Syria was to submit a “comprehensive listing, including names, types, and quantities of its chemical weapons agents. . . .  .”  Syria also agreed to give United Nations inspectors “immediate and unfettered” access to all chemical weapons storage, production, research, and development sites.

A United Nations inspector examines dismantled equipment used during the 1980′s and 1990′s in Iraq’s chemical weapons program. (Reuters/Getty Images)

The destruction of the chemicals was overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. Based in The Hague, Netherlands, the OPCW was established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which has contributed to the destruction of nearly 80 percent of the world’s stockpile of chemical weapons. About half of Syria’s 1,300-ton (1,180-metric-ton) stockpile was destroyed aboard the U.S.S. Cape Ray, an American military ship, in international waters. The rest of the chemicals were neutralized by facilities in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland.

While praising the destruction of the weapons as a “milestone,” Secretary of State Kerry also noted that questions about “discrepancies and omissions” in Syria’s weapons inventory remain. In addition, Syria has yet to destroy its chemical-weapons production facilities. Kerry also said that the Syrian government has continued to use chlorine gas against civilians, despite President Assad’s agreement to give up such attacks.

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria: The Roots of Rebellion (a special report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2013 (a Back in Time article)

October 11, 2013

The 2013 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) “for its extensive efforts” to rid the world of such arsenals. “The conventions and the work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law,” declared Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland in the announcement. “Recent events in Syria, where chemical weapons have again been put to use, have underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons.”

The OPCW, based in The Hague, Netherlands, was established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which has contributed to the destruction of nearly 80 percent of the world’s stockpile of chemical weapons. OPCW inspectors are currently overseeing the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons–the first time OPCW inspectors have worked in an active war zone.

A United Nations inspector examines dismantled equipment used during the 1980's and 1990's in Iraq's chemical weapons program. (Reuters/Getty Images)

In late September, Syria began reporting details of its chemical weapons stockpile as part of a U.S.-Russia brokered deal. The deal–a framework for a plan to secure and destroy Syria’s chemical weapons by mid-2014–was brokered on September 14 by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It specified that Syria was to submit a “comprehensive listing, including names, types, and quantities of its chemical weapons agents. . . .  .”  Among other provisions, Syria must also give United Nations inspectors, scheduled to be on the ground by November, “immediate and unfettered” access to all chemical weapons storage, production, research, and development sites.

The deal put on hold the threat of a U.S. military strike against Syria for allegedly using chemical agents in an attack on August 21. The attack left more than 1,400 Syrians dead, including hundreds of children. In a nationally televised address, President Barack Obama argued that the United States had a moral obligation to consider a military strike against Syria for the alleged chemical attack. “Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria,” the president declared.

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria: The Roots of Rebellion (a special report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)

September 16, 2013

The United States and Russia agreed on September 14 on the framework for a plan to secure and destroy Syria’s stock of chemical weapons by mid-2014. The deal puts on hold the threat of a U.S. military strike against Syria for allegedly using chemical agents in an attack on Aug. 21, 2013, that left more than 1,400 Syrians dead, including hundreds of children.

This morning, the authors of a United Nations (UN) report on the chemical attack in Syria wrote that inspectors had found “clear and convincing evidence that surface to surface rockets containing the nerve gas sarin” were launched into suburbs around Damascus, the Syrian capital. However, the report stopped short of assigning blame for the attack. The United States has accused the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attack. Syria and its close ally Russia contend that rebel forces fighting to overthrow Assad were responsible.

The deal brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov specifies that Syria has until September 21 to submit a “comprehensive listing, including names, types, and quantities of its chemical weapons agents . . .” Among other provisions, Syria must also give UN inspectors, scheduled to be on the ground by November, “immediate and unfettered” access to all chemical weapons storage, production, research, and development sites.

A United Nations inspector examines dismantled equipment used during the 1980′s and 1990′s in Iraq’s chemical weapons program. (Reuters/Getty Images)

The final agreement needs to be backed by a resolution by the UN Security Council, which must approve any action against Syria if it fails to comply with the agreement. However, two of the five members of the council–Russia and China–have consistently opposed any efforts to impose sanctions on Syria for the brutality rained down on Syria’s civilians during the current civil war.

International affairs experts note the implementation of the agreement faces many challenges. Syria has not yet signed off on it. In addition, Russia and the United States have not agreed on the amount and location of Syria’s chemical stockpile. Moreover, the already difficult task of destroying the weapons will be greatly complicated by the country’s ongoing civil war. And no operation of this extent has ever been carried out by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which would have technical authority over the process.

In a nationally televised address last week, President Barack Obama argued that the United States has a moral obligation to consider a military strike against Syria for the alleged chemical attack. “Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria,” the president declared.

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria: The Roots of Rebellion (a special report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)

September 11, 2013

In a nationally televised address last evening, President Barack Obama argued that the United States has a moral obligation to consider a military strike against Syria for allegedly killing more than 1,400 of its citizens in a chemical weapons attack on August 21. “Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria,” the president declared. He acknowledged that “we cannot resolve someone else’s civil war through force, particularly after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Nevertheless, he argued, failing to act against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would erode an international ban against the use of chemical weapons and increase the likelihood that American troops “would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield. And it could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons, and to use them to attack civilians.”

President Obama, who faces widespread public and congressional opposition to military action against Syria, also said he was willing to postpone action to pursue a diplomatic initiative advanced earlier in the day by Russia. The initiative followed remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at a news conference in Europe. Asked whether there was anything Assad could do to avoid military action, Kerry declared that the Syrian president could surrender his entire stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week. In talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov then asked Syria to put its chemical weapons stockpile under “international control.” Lavrov noted that the weapons would be destroyed, presumably under the supervision of United Nations weapons inspectors. In response, Syria publicly acknowledged for the first time that it possesses chemical weapons and offered to sign the international treaty governing their use. Muallem also said Syria would identify chemical arms facilities to international observers and agree to dispose of the weapons.

A United Nations inspector examines dismantled equipment used during the 1980's and 1990's in Iraq's chemical weapons program. (Reuters/Getty Images)

In response, Kerry warned that the administration would not tolerate delays and avoidance tactics in implementing the plan. He also said the disarmament process must be “swift and verifiable.” Also on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said any agreement on Syria’s chemical weapons must include a promise by the United States and its allies not to threaten military action to enforce the agreement. The main rebel coalition fighting the Assad regime announced its opposition to the Russian plan. Coalition leaders said the plan was simply an effort to stall for time.

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria: The Roots of Rebellion (a special report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)

August 21, 2013

Syrian opposition activists have accused the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of launching rockets with toxic chemical weapons into suburbs east of Damascus this morning as part of a major bombardment on rebel forces. The main opposition alliance claims that more than 1,000 people were killed in the attacks. Amateur videos downloaded onto the Internet show people going into convulsions. Dozens of bodies, including those of small children, are shown laid out on the floor of a clinic with no visible signs of injuries.

While the claims have not been independently confirmed, a doctor treating the injured did inform a BBC correspondent that the cause of death appears to be suffocation, with signs of foaming at the mouth. “There are some kinds of symptoms that tell us that this is phosphorus, which is a chemical weapon. It may be sarin, most probably it’s sarin,” noted the doctor, Ghazwan Bwidany.

A Syrian army spokesperson denied the accusations. He accused the opposition of inventing the story in an attempt to divert attention from the huge losses rebel forces had suffered recently.

A United Nations weapons inspector. (Reuters/Getty Images)

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French President Francois Hollande have asked that United Nations (UN) weapons inspectors be allowed access to the area. Both Hague and Hollande stated that their respective UN ambassadors would raise the issue of chemical weapon use in the Syrian Civil War in the Security Council. The Security Council responded by scheduling an emergency meeting today.

Additional World Book articles:

• Syria: The Roots of Rebellion (a special report)
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)

December 4, 2012

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued a warning today to the government of Syria not to use chemical weapons against its own people: “If anybody resorts to these terrible weapons, then I would expect an immediate reaction from the international community,” he declared. His warning came on the heals of a similar declaration yesterday by U.S. President Barack Obama: “The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable,” noted the president in a speech at the National Defense University. NATO foreign ministers, meeting today in Brussels, are expected to approve the deployment of Patriot antimissile batteries to Turkey, a move designed to defend Turkey’s border with Syria.

NATO foreign ministers are expected to approve a plan to station Patriot antimissile batteries in Turkey. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

Syrian government forces continue to bombard the southern suburbs of Damascus with artillery and airstrikes in an offensive designed to seal off the city and maintain control of the international airport. Rebels have gained control of strategic military bases and arsenals, giving them access to ground-to-air missiles that has forced the government to periodically shut down the airport. The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Araby, has stated that he believes the government of Bashar al-Assad could fall at any time, and the United Nations announced today that it is withdrawing all nonessential staff from Syria.

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a Special Report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)