While the Assad regime is handing over its chemical weapons, it is very much busy producing new chemical weaponry and using them against innocent Syrians.
The Syrian government had until midnight Sunday to hand over all its chemical reserves. Of course, this was according to a deal made between Damascus and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). This transfer is taking place while the US says it has reports showing Syrian regime forces are using chlorine gas as a weapon, which has raised concerns for Washington.
According to the latest OPCW reports 86% of Assad’s chemical substances have exited Syria. However, the success of this mission is in danger because reports say chlorine gas is being turned into a weapon in Syria.
Chlorine has a widespread industrial use and is not in the list presented by Assad as chemical substances. Using this gas as a weapon has undermined the chemical weaponry deal. Syria signed the deal when it had used Sarin gas against civilians near Damascus, being the worst chemical attack in the past 25 years. Following this attack the Assad regime agreed to hand over his 1,300 tons of chemical agents.
Many said signing the chemical deal was aimed at defusing the US military attack against the Assad regime. Now that chlorine gas has been used as a weapon this means the chemical war can continue, and that comes in conditions where chemical substances in Syria were to be neutralized and destroyed.