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Assad, who fled to Russia, has hidden chemical weapons in Syria! Know why the world is worried?

The atmosphere in Syria is worsening after the occupation by rebels. After Bashar al-Assad fled the country, rebel fighters have resorted to looting and sabotage. On Wednesday, fighters burned the tomb of former President Hafez al-Assad, father of President Bashar al-Assad. This grave was in Kardaha, Latakia, in the north-western region of Syria. Kardaha is the ancestral village of the Asad family. Bashar’s father Hafez was the President of Syria from 1971 to 2000. Meanwhile, after the occupation of Syria by rebel groups, concerns have started being expressed about the chemical weapons present in the country. It is feared that these may fall into the wrong hands.

Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani says the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is working with international organizations to secure potential sites that could contain chemical weapons. HTS had already said that it would not use chemical weapons under any circumstances.

Let us tell you that on Sunday the rebels captured the Syrian capital and President Bashar al-Assad had to flee the country. Assad ruled this Arab country for about 24 years.

Meanwhile, the US Defense Headquarters Pentagon has said that the US welcomes his comments about securing potential chemical weapons sites, but it also cautioned that ‘it is important to go along with the statement.’

Syria’s chemical weapons history

After all, what is the history of chemical weapons in Syria and how dangerous can they prove to be? The production of chemical weapons in Syria began in the mid-1980s. There came a time when it was believed that Syria had the third largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the world after America and Russia.

Bashar al-Assad has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons during Syria’s more than 13-year civil war. According to media reports, in 2012, then US President Barack Obama had warned that US military intervention would be justified if the continued use of these weapons crossed a ‘red line’.

Syria’s weapons were destroyed by OPCW

Before September 2013, Syria had not publicly acknowledged possessing chemical weapons. Following the US threat, al-Assad agreed to a Russian-American deal to dismantle his country’s chemical weapons program and agree to join an international treaty banning chemical weapons.

The International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was tasked with destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile in 2013. It was this work that helped the organization win that year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Over the next nine months, OPCW destroyed approximately 1,100 metric tons of sarin, VX, and mustard gas agents and their delivery systems. In June 2014, it was certified that all declared weapons from Syria had been removed.

Assad had hidden some of his chemical weapons

Regarding the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, the OPCW said at the time that these were weapons that Syria had originally declared as part of its arsenal. But suspicions were raised that the list of Syria was not complete. According to media reports, even at that time, US and OPCW officials suspected that al-Assad had hidden some of his chemical weapons.

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Three years later, in 2017, 80 people were killed in an attack by Syrian forces in Khan Sheikhoun. It is widely believed that government forces used chemical weapons in the attack. On April 7, 2018, about 50 more people were killed in an attack near Damascus. This time also the attack was considered a chemical attack.

Close vigil on suspected weapons storage sites

Till last week, US intelligence agencies were keeping a close watch on suspected chemical weapons storage sites in Syria. They feared that government forces might use the remaining chemical weapons to prevent the rebels from capturing the capital. Now that the Assad government has fallen, there are concerns that weapons could be stolen or used.

According to media reports, some experts believe that Syria does not have many chemical weapons and it would not be easy for the rebel groups to use them. Experts say that using chemical weapons is not so easy, unless a group gets complete information about it, it will avoid using it.

(Input also from IANS)

Also read –

America, France, Britain start new campaign in UN to investigate chemical weapons in Syria

NATO will respond if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine: Biden


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Sonu Kumar
Sonu Kumarhttp://newstiger.in
Stay up-to-date with Sonu Ji, who brings you fresh takes on breaking news, technology, and cultural trends. Committed to reliable reporting, Sonu Ji delivers stories that are both informative and engaging.

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