Category:Chemical Weapons


 * See also: Talk:Alleged chemical attack, March 19, 2013 and Talk:UN chemical weapons investigations

The use and alleged use of chemical weapons is an area of special interest at this site. Most media sources, in covering the pivotal March 19 alleged chemical weapons attacks, say there has been only one such allegation before that, not confirmed (Dec. 23). Although they're not fully filled-in, there are pages listed below for four prior allegations. Then there is March 19 (ongoing investigation), with two or even three such incidents alleged across Syria on the same day, and one reported CW attack since then, so far. The previous four known reports show a tendency to cluster in time, but spread out in space, suggesting some strange coordination that the newer attacks remain fairly consistent with.

On August 20, 2012: U.S. President Obama publicly lays out his "red line." Alarmed at reports that Syria might be moving/readying its closely-watched chemical weapons stockpiles, he said that, regardless of what the UN Security Council said, if the Syrian government were to use these banned weapons against their people, there would be consequences that, implicitly, could be military.

It was not specified what would happen if the rebels crossed the line, in the regime's name, or otherwise. But that was clearly considered a pretty unlikely thing. The opposition would surely find other, more ethical, ways of securing the direct U.S./NATO intervention they so desperately need.

Almost to the hour one year after Obama's "red line" statement, a large alleged CW attack happened in the suburbs of Damascus which seemed about to trigger direct military action by the USA until Russia brokered a deal to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

For the ongoing investigation into the August 21 event, see: Alleged Chemical Attack, August 21, 2013

Alleged Attacks Catalogued Here
All alleged crossings of that line in the Syrian war (that are known to us), in chronological order
 * (all pages are also listed below, but this list lets us add ones not analyzed, and to link to ones that are given only sections of a page)


 * December 6, 2012 Daraya (near Damascus), regime-on-rebel alleged
 * December 8, 2012 Al-Safira, near Aleppo: Regime-on-rebel alleged
 * December 22, 2012 Daraya: rebel-on-regime alleged
 * December 23, 2012 Al-Bayada, Homs, regime-on-rebel alleged
 * March 19, 2013
 * Khan Al-Asssal (near Aleppo), both accuse each other, looks like it happened, 31 dead, 110 injured
 * Otaybah, near Damascus, regime attack, rebels say, "martyrs," number unspecified
 * Baba Amr, Homs, regime attack, rebels imply, no deaths mentioned
 * March 24, 2013 Adra (near Damascus), regime-on-rebel alleged, no reported deaths
 * March 25, 2013 Best guess: Daraya. Regime-on-rebel alleged.
 * April 6, 2013 Jobar, Damascus, regime Sarin or VX, the doctor thinks
 * April 9, 2013 Again Al-Otaybah, near Damascus, regime on rebel, gas masks saved lives, only animals died.
 * April 13, 2013 Sheikh Maqsoud district, Aleppo, regime on civilian alleged, a woman and two infants dead, 16 injured
 * April 25, 2013 Daraya (forthcoming)
 * April 26, 2013 Barzeh district, Damascus, rebel on regime alleged, unconfirmed, unstated number of dead
 * April 29, 2013 Saraqeb, Idilb: two incidents, allegedly rebels against locals, or by the regime against locals. Some bodies sent to Turkey to prove regime gassing. A little confusing ...
 * Early May, 2013 Quseir, Deraa province: shocking but quiet and un-explained allegation of mustard gas, used by Hezbollah fighters, against rebels, in the epic battle for Quseir.
 * May 27, 2013 At least two incidents close together, Harasta, reef Damascus - May 26/27 six rebel fighters reported dead
 * June 19, 2013 Zamalka, Damascus suburbs - three killed, apparently rebel fighters, Hezbollah involved

That makes 18 attacks listed as of late June. By June 1, rebel doctor/activists had used total science to catalog 34 CW attacks, all by the regime, per an AFP report. "The attacks appeared mainly to be carried out by fighter jets, helicopters and long- and mid-range missiles. (...) 97 percent of victims were civilians, and the cases were mainly concentrated in the suburbs of Damascus." That does not tally with the case-by-case appearance of rebel fighters as more like 90% of seen victims than 3%, when there's a reported death toll at all. Perhaps they simply got the two category labels mixed up?

After June we lost track a bit until August 21.


 * August 5, 2013 Adra, east Ghouta
 * August 21, 2013, Multiple places in Eastern Gouta, Damascus suburbs. Claims of over 1300 killed, both sides blame each other, bringing U.S. military action to the brink of happening. Multi-page investigation here.
 * August 24, 2013 Jobar, east Ghouta
 * etc...

Later attacks, mainly with chlorine, covered partly or should be covered here:


 * Alleged Chemical Attack, April 11, 2014 Kafr Zita 5 dead (chlorine as reported)
 * April 18 Tamanah 4 dead (chlorine as reported)
 * April 21 Talmenes 3 dead (chlorine as reported)
 * May 22 Tamanah 4 dead (chlorine as reported)


 * February, 2015, Daraya: soldiers killed, sarin confirmed


 * Alleged Chemical Attack, March 16, 2015 (chlorine as reported)
 * March 23
 * March 31, Idlib City
 * April Attacks
 * May Attacks
 * Damascus, July


 * April 7, 2016 Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo, reported as rebel attack with chlorine, Jaish al-Islam claims responsibility
 * August 2, 2016 Saraqeb, no deaths? (chlorine by government as reported)
 * August 2, 2016 Aleppo, Old City, reported 5 dead (chlorine as reported, both sides blame each other)
 * http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/02/middleeast/syria-aleppo/index.html
 * http://english.almanar.com.lb/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=280817
 * http://aranews.net/2016/08/syrian-regime-opposition-exchange-accusations-gas-attack-aleppo/
 * http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/215960


 * August 10, 2016 - 4 killed by chlorine dropped "alongside" barrel bombs, on "the Zubdiya neighborhood of rebel-held Aleppo" according to "Hamza Khatib, the manager of Al Quds hospital in Aleppo," which apparently was not reduced to rubble in April. Also, "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said helicopters dropped explosive barrels on the neighborhoods of Seif al Dawla and Zubdiya, leading to the death of a woman and her child from suffocation."
 * http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-gas-idUSKCN10L2QW
 * "verified" footage on BBC website at http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/headlines/37051861. Opening scene shows a boy taking his T-shirt off at the entrance, then remembering to cough as he walks into the emergency room. None of the victims look cyanosed. No eye or skin irritation is noticeable.

Other Related Pages

 * Talk:UN chemical weapons investigations
 * A Threatened Crossing: Tekkim Chemical Test Video, Video published Dec. 5, 2012, location unknown - alleged rebel-on-Alawite chemical death threat video. Rabbits die.
 * Category talk:Chemical Weapons