Category:Chemical Weapons

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 December 3, 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.

All alleged crossings of that line in the Syrian war (known to us), chronological order Threatened Crossings:
 * 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-Asssali (near Aleppo), both accuse each other, looks like it happened, 31 dead, 110 injured - Al-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
 * 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, a woman and two infants dead, 16 injured
 * Tekkim Chemical Test Video Video published Dec. 5, 2012, location unknown - alleged rebel-on-Alawite chemical death threat video. Rabbits die.