Lead

Syria has established a 'Breath of Freedom' Task Force to complete the elimination of chemical weapons remnants from the era of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, according to reports. The move comes as Syrian authorities and international inspectors have uncovered dozens of undeclared chemical weapons and arrested 18 people suspected of involvement in the former regime's chemical weapons program.

Coverage Comparison

Reports by the Jerusalem Post describe the discoveries and the new task force, drawing on Syrian state media, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and statements from Syrian officials. The reports note that while most of the former regime's stockpile was supposed to have been removed in 2013-2014 after it was used in attacks, some material remained hidden.

Syrian state media SANA reported that "Syria achieves progress in elimination of remnants of Assad-Era Chemical Weapons," and the Syrian Permanent Mission to the OPCW said that searches and investigations led to the identification of sites linked to the Assad-era chemical weapons program. A separate report by the AFP, published in Arab News, noted that "dozens of undeclared chemical weapons have been found in Syria," according to a global watchdog's monthly report. The OPCW team deployed earlier this month "to verify the accuracy and completeness" of Syria's declaration about its chemical weapons stockpiles.

A search was carried out on "high-priority undeclared locations" in Latakia, an area the former regime considered loyalist and where a Russian military base is located.

Another report by the Jerusalem Post, citing a Syrian official who spoke with Reuters, said Syria's government had "located remnants of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's clandestine chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions similar to those used to carry out deadly gas attacks during the country's long-running civil war."

Key Claims

  • Dozens of undeclared chemical weapons have been found in Syria, according to a report by the AFP in Arab News, citing a global watchdog.
  • The OPCW team deployed to verify the accuracy and completeness of Syria's declaration about its chemical weapons stockpiles.
  • Searches were carried out on high-priority undeclared locations in Latakia.
  • Thousands of pages of documentation were found along with chemical munitions, according to the SANA report via the Jerusalem Post.
  • Syria has established a 'Breath of Freedom' Task Force to complete the task of eliminating chemical weapons.
  • Syrian authorities arrested 18 people suspected of involvement in the former regime's chemical weapons program, including high-level military, political, and technical officials, as stated by Mohamad Katoub, Syria's permanent representative to the OPCW, in an interview with Reuters.
  • A former brigadier general, Khardal Ahmed Dayoub, was arrested and accused of involvement in a 2013 chemical attack on a suburb of Damascus, which killed 1,400 people, according to an AFP report published by Al-Arabiya and cited by the Jerusalem Post.
  • The Assad regime used chemical weapons against its own people during the Syrian civil war, as noted in the Jerusalem Post reports.

Perspectives

Syrian Government

The Syrian government, through its officials and state media, emphasizes progress in eliminating remnants of the Assad-era chemical weapons program, highlighting cooperation with the OPCW and the establishment of the 'Breath of Freedom' Task Force.

International Watchdog (OPCW)

The OPCW has deployed a team to verify the accuracy and completeness of Syria's declaration about its chemical weapons stockpiles, and has reported the discovery of dozens of undeclared chemical weapons in Syria.