Syria has suddenly revealed on the eve of potential airstrikes in its country against ISIS that it has another chemical weapons laboratory.
The lab was built specifically to produce the deadly chemical ricin for chemical weapons.
Three sources told Reuters that the Syrian government admitted the location of three new facilities to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The revelation of the plants backs up claims from world leaders that Syria was not completely honest with OPCW and the UN regarding their chemical weapons stash and abilities.
Damascus had agreed last year to eliminate its chemical weapons program following world condemnation for an attack on Ghouta where hundreds were killed by sarin gas.
The OPCW described the incident as a “discrepancy” in the initial declaration by Syria to the organization. Syria claims that they could never let inspectors in because of fighting between rebels and government troops.
Syria had blamed sarin attacks on rebel forces and said they never had the capability to produce the rockets needed for the weapons.
“Syria will argue that the facilities were not revealed earlier because they were in a rush when they first had to report them,” said one diplomatic source. “They had said the ricin was for medical purposes, but we don’t believe that’s true.”
The OPCW is also investigating a report that Syrian government troops have dropped chlorine “barrel” bombs this year.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced Friday that all of Syria’s unfilled canisters for use in chemical weapons has been destroyed.
The announcement marks a major step in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons abilities.
The destruction of the canisters were near the city of Homs which had been inaccessible due to fighting from the country’s civil war.
The experts from the OPCW also verified that buildings used to construct chemical weapons have been partially destroyed. The buildings will be completely razed.
The joint OPCW-UN team said they plan to remove most of toxic materials from Syria by the end of the year to meet the mid-2014 deadline for destruction of all weapons.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced Thursday that all the equipment in Syria that could manufacture chemical weapons has been destroyed.
The U.N. mandated deadline for the destruction of the equipment was Friday.
The inspections of all locations were determined to be completed after equipment at two sites that inspectors could not reach were confirmed to be taken to sites where the inspectors could see them destroyed.
The inspections and the destruction of equipment was part of an agreement at the UN that stopped the U.S. from striking militarily over the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on civilians.
Syria has until the end of June 2014 to destroy their chemical weapon stockpile.
International chemical weapons inspectors in Syria have been stopped from investigating two sites identified by the Syrian government as chemical weapons facilities.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that verification of the other 21 chemical weapons sites have been completed. The inability for the investigators to go into the remaining two sites means that a key deadline in the mission to eliminate all the Syrian weapons has been missed.
The OPCW said that ceasefires would be necessary for their inspectors to complete their mission. The group would not say which side of the conflict was making the weapon sites too dangerous for their inspectors.
Under the United Nations resolution that authorized the inspectors to enter Syria, all chemical weapon production facilities in the nation must be destroyed by November 1st.
Chemical weapons inspectors in Syria for the dismantling of that country’s supplies have found themselves blocked from parts of their mission due to the ongoing violence.
Over the weekend, mortar attacks took place near the hotel where inspectors are staying and several IEDs were detonated in vehicles during visits to inspection sites.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says this is the first time their inspectors have been unable to complete a scheduled visit.
The OPCW is being asked for the first time in their history to destroy a chemical weapons armory while an active war is taking place within a nation. According to the group’s reports to the UN, nearly half of the 20 sites have been inspected and equipment destroyed.
The UN resolution requires the destruction of all stockpiles by the end of June 2014.
A second team of chemical weapons experts is heading to Syria to boost the efforts to destroy the country’s weapon stockpile.
Under the terms of a UN resolution all chemical weapons mixing and filling equipment in Syria must be destroyed by the beginning of November.
The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said the Syrian government has submitted additional information updating the original weapons disclosure. He called the actions a “constructive beginning [of] a long and difficult process.”
Members of the OPCW reported on Sunday that members of the Syrian government were using cutting torches and angle grinders to destroy warheads, aerial bombs and equipment that could mix chemical weapons.
International monitors reported over the weekend that destruction of chemical weapons in Syria is underway.
The team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that weapon destruction is taking place according to the terms of their United Nations mandate. The U.N. approved a joint U.S.-Russia resolution that would remove all chemical weapons from Syrian storehouses.
“The first day of destruction and disabling is over and missile warheads, aerial bombs, along with mobile and static mixing and filling units, were dealt with. Work continues tomorrow and in the next few days,” an official with OPCW reported to the BBC.
The U.N. resolution calls for the total destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon stockpiles by mid-2014.
The Free Syrian Army, who have been fighting to overthrow the al-Assad government, is claiming that the Syrian regime has moved most of their chemical stockpile to their associates in the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashir al-Assad reportedly told Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine he would welcome German negotiators in an attempt to end the 30-month-old civil war.
A team of international chemical weapon disarmament experts has arrived in Syria to begin their work on removing the country’s chemical weapon stockpile.
The mission was set up after a joint U.S.-Russia deal supported by the UN.
The experts with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are tasked to destroy chemical weapons during an active war for the first time. Syria’s foreign minister said that seven of the 19 sites that contain chemical weapons are in active combat areas.
The BBC is reporting that truces between the government and local militia will likely be necessary to reach the seven locations.
The country is believed to possess more than 1,000 tons of chemical weapons. While not confirmed, Syria is believed to also have the extremely deadly VX nerve agent.
UN chemical weapon inspectors are going to be returning to Syria on Wednesday according to statements from the Russian government.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told news outlets the investigators would focus on chemical weapons attacks at Khan al-Assal, Sheikh Maqsoud and Saraqueb. The locations were the initial destinations of the inspectors until the attack on a Damascus suburb August 21st that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. Continue reading →
The United Nations confirmed on Thursday they have received the necessary paperwork from the Syrian government to become a part of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The CWC outlaws production and use of chemical weapons.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian TV that his administration would be submitting weapons data within one month of signing the papers to join the CWC. Continue reading →
