Syria’s New FM Pledges To Destroy Remaining Chemical Weapons
Syria’s new government has pledged to destroy any remaining chemical weapons from the Assad era, Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani announced Wednesday at a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The commitment comes as international investigators continue to document chemical attacks during Syria’s 14-year civil war.
Speaking before the OPCW’s executive council, al-Shaibani vowed to “put an end to this painful legacy, to bring justice to victims, and to ensure that the compliance with international law is a solid one.” He emphasized that Syria would need support from the global community and the OPCW to fulfill its obligations.
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OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias welcomed Syria’s renewed commitment, stating that the organization “stands ready to support the new Syrian authorities in meeting the Syrian Arab Republic’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.” He confirmed that a team of OPCW experts would travel to Damascus in the coming days to assess chemical weapons sites and assist in creating a comprehensive inventory of Syria’s stockpiles, equipment, and precursors.
Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 after a sarin gas attack in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus killed hundreds. The move was meant to prevent international military intervention, and the OPCW oversaw the declared destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal. However, investigations later found that the Syrian military carried out multiple chemical attacks between 2017 and 2018, including the use of chlorine gas in Douma, which killed at least 43 people.
