Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons facts for kids
The destruction of Syria's chemical weapons began in September 2013. This happened after Syria agreed to international plans to get rid of its chemical weapon stockpiles. The goal was to finish by June 30, 2014. On September 14, 2013, Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). This is an agreement to ban chemical weapons.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) then made a detailed plan. This plan required Syria to destroy its chemical weapons, like sarin, and the places where they were made. The United Nations Security Council also approved a resolution (Resolution 2118). This made Syria follow the OPCW's timeline. A special team, the joint OPCW-UN mission, was set up to watch over this process.
The OPCW started checking Syria's chemical weapons on October 1, 2013. The actual destruction began on October 6. Syrian military staff, watched by the OPCW, started destroying things like missile warheads and equipment used to mix chemicals. By October 31, Syria had destroyed its declared chemical weapon production sites. However, destroying the actual chemical stockpiles was much slower than planned. The remaining declared chemicals were finally shipped out of Syria for destruction on June 23, 2014.
The most dangerous chemicals were destroyed at sea. This happened on a ship called the Cape Ray, which belonged to the United States Maritime Administration. A team of U.S. Army civilians and contractors destroyed 600 metric tons of chemicals in 42 days. By August 18, 2014, all the remaining declared chemicals were destroyed. On January 4, 2016, the OPCW said the destruction was complete. However, since then, there have been reports that the Syrian military has used chemical weapons again.
Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons to avoid military action. The United States and France were planning air strikes on Syria. This was because of a chemical attack in Ghouta on August 21, 2013. To prevent these strikes, the U.S., Russia, and Syria agreed to a plan on September 14, 2013. Chlorine is a common chemical. It was not part of the disarmament agreement. But using it as a weapon would break the Chemical Weapons Convention. Some countries have accused Syria of using chlorine attacks since 2014.
Some officials, like British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, worried that Syria had not told them everything about its chemical weapons. In 2014, Syria revealed a ricin program late. This made people doubt if Syria had been honest about its chemical weapons. In May 2015, OPCW inspectors found traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at a military research site. Syria had not declared this site before. Syria also seemed to use sarin in an attack on Khan Shaykhun in April 2017. A chemical attack on Douma in April 2018 killed many people. The Syrian government was blamed, but they denied it. In March 2023, the UN Security Council said Syria's chemical weapons claims were "incomplete." The UN Disarmament chief, Izumi Nakamitsu, said Syria's statements "cannot be considered accurate." This means Syria broke the Chemical Weapons Convention.
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Why Syria Agreed to Destroy Chemical Weapons
For a long time, people believed Syria had the third-largest supply of chemical weapons in the world. Syria denied having them. When the Syrian Civil War started in 2011, people worried about the safety of these weapons. They also worried that they might be used.
On August 21, 2013, rockets with sarin gas hit areas near Damascus. This attack, known as the Ghouta chemical attack, killed over 300 people. U.S. President Barack Obama had said that using chemical weapons would be a "red line." The U.S. and other Western countries blamed the Syrian government for the attack. Syria, however, blamed the rebel forces.
After the Ghouta attack, the U.S. and France planned air strikes on Syria. Russia and China, who support Syria, had stopped earlier attempts by the U.S., France, and the UK to get UN approval for military action.
How the Agreement Happened
At a meeting in Russia on September 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama talked about putting Syria's chemical weapons under international control. On September 9, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that air strikes could be avoided if Syria gave up all its chemical weapons within a week. He also said it was unlikely Syria would do this.
Hours later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia had suggested this to Syria. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem quickly welcomed the idea. This led to talks between the U.S. and Russia. On September 14, 2013, they agreed on a "Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons." This plan called for Syria to get rid of its chemical weapons by mid-2014.
After this agreement, Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention. On September 21, Syria gave the OPCW a list of its chemical weapons. On September 27, the OPCW approved a detailed plan to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. Later that day, the UN Security Council passed United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118 unanimously. This made the OPCW plan legally binding for Syria. A joint OPCW-UN mission was set up to watch over the destruction.
Plan for Destroying Chemical Weapons
Talks and Agreement Details
From September 12 to 14, 2013, the details of the plan were discussed in Geneva, Switzerland. John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov led the talks. Teams of experts worked on the technical parts. A big step forward happened when the U.S. and Russia agreed on how much chemical weapon Syria had. They estimated about 1,000 tons of sarin, mustard gas, and VX nerve agent. The plan was signed on September 14, 2013.
On the same day, Syria announced it was joining the Chemical Weapons Convention. This meant Syria promised not to use chemical weapons. It also agreed to destroy its chemical weapons within 10 years. All chemical weapon production sites would also be destroyed.
What the Plan Included
The plan, officially called "Framework for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons," set these goals:
- Syria had to give a full list of its weapons to the OPCW by September 21, 2013.
- The OPCW had to finish its first on-site checks by November 2013.
- Equipment for making, mixing, and filling chemical weapons had to be destroyed by November 2013.
- All chemical weapons and equipment had to be gone by the first half of 2014.
The plan said that if Syria did not follow the rules, the UN Security Council should take action. This action could range from warnings to sanctions or military force. However, Russia and China could stop any military action with their veto power. They had already stopped three resolutions against Syria before. The U.S. said it might act outside the UN if Syria did not follow the plan.
Chlorine was not on the list of banned chemicals in this agreement. However, using it as a weapon would still break the Chemical Weapons Convention.
How People Reacted
Many countries liked the plan, including France, Germany, the UK, China, and the Arab League. Israel was hopeful but also unsure if Syria would truly follow the rules.
Ali Haidar, Syria's Minister of National Reconciliation, called the agreement "a victory for Syria." He said it happened thanks to Russia. He also said it removed the reason for a U.S. attack. Iran also said the agreement stopped the U.S. from attacking Syria.
Rebel leaders, like the Syrian National Coalition, were angry. They felt the U.S. had changed its mind about striking Syria without talking to them. They also worried the agreement might make the Bashar al-Assad government seem more legitimate.
OPCW's Detailed Plan
The OPCW's Executive Council met on September 27. They approved a detailed and faster plan to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons. They also approved Syria joining the Chemical Weapons Convention. The OPCW said they agreed on a plan to completely remove Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014. Inspections in Syria were to start on October 1, 2013.
Inspectors were given special power. Syria had to let them go to any suspected chemical weapons site. This was true even if Syria had not listed the site. This was different from normal rules.
The plan also said that if there were delays, the OPCW Director-General would discuss it quickly. They would then decide if the problem should be reported to the UN Security Council. The OPCW also asked member countries to help pay for the chemical weapons removal.
What Syria Had to Do
Under this plan, which was part of UN Resolution 2118, Syria had to:
- Give more information about its chemical weapons by October 4. This included names of chemicals, types of weapons, and exact locations.
- Submit a full declaration required by the Chemical Weapons Convention by October 27.
- Get rid of all chemical weapons and equipment in the first half of 2014.
- Destroy its chemical weapons mixing and production equipment by November 1.
- Work fully with the plan. This meant letting OPCW staff inspect any and all sites in Syria.
- Name one official as the main contact for the OPCW. This person had to make sure the plan was followed.
UN Security Council Resolution 2118
At first, talks about the UN Security Council resolution were difficult. The U.S., UK, and France wanted the resolution to automatically allow military force if Syria did not follow the rules. Russia and China did not want any military action against Syria without another vote.
After more talks, the five main members of the UN Security Council agreed on a draft resolution on September 26. The next day, after the OPCW approved its plan, Security Council Resolution 2118 was passed by everyone. This made the OPCW plan legally binding for Syria.
The resolution told Syria to get rid of its chemical weapons and let UN and OPCW inspectors have full access. If Syria did not follow these rules, the Security Council would need to vote again on military or other actions. The vote was delayed until September 27 because the OPCW needed to vote on its plan first. Syria promised to follow the resolution.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that rebels in the Syrian civil war also had to follow the UN resolution. He said they must make sure extremists do not get chemical weapons. He stressed that "the responsibility is not only on the Syrian government."
How the Plan Was Carried Out
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Syria's Declared Sites
On September 21, 2013, Syria gave the OPCW a full list of its chemical weapons. This met the first deadline. Syria declared 23 sites. Their locations are kept secret for safety. These sites had "1,300 tons of chemical precursors and agents and 1,230 unfilled munitions."
Experts believe the declared sites included:
- Four production sites near Safira, Khan Abu Shamat, Homs, and Hama.
- Six storage sites near Safira, Homs, Hama, Furqlus, Latakia, and Palmyra.
- A research and development site in Damascus.
First Inspections and Destruction
The OPCW started checking Syria's list within 24 hours. They said they would do on-site inspections to make sure Syria's information was correct. They would also help keep the weapons and facilities safe until they were destroyed.
Preliminary inspections began on October 1, 2013. The actual destruction of Syrian equipment started on October 6. Syrian staff, watched by the OPCW, used tools like angle grinders and cutting torches to destroy items. They destroyed missile warheads, aerial bombs, and chemical mixing units. The U.S. and Russia were happy with how fast Syria was getting rid of its chemical weapons.
On October 7, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN-OPCW mission would have about 100 people in Syria. Their support base would be in Cyprus. Ban said the mission had three steps: first, check Syria's weapons list; second, watch the destruction; and third, confirm all weapons and related materials were destroyed. On October 13, Ban announced that Sigrid Kaag would lead the mission.
Challenges in the War Zone
In early October, UN Secretary-General Ban talked about the many challenges. Destroying chemical weapons during a civil war is very dangerous. Especially in cities like Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs. He said that "heavy artillery, airstrikes, mortar barrages and the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas are commonplace." Ban added that the hardest part would start in November. This is when experts would destroy Syria's 1,000 tons of chemicals. They would need to cross battle lines between government and rebel forces.
The Syrian government and some rebel groups promised to help. But rebel groups linked to Al Qaeda did not. OPCW director-general Ahmet Uzumcu said that finishing by mid-2014 would depend on getting temporary cease-fires. A nine-month cease-fire was rejected by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Moving and destroying deadly chemicals like sarin and VX nerve agents during the civil war was also very hard. The chemical weapons agreement usually does not allow moving such chemicals outside the country. But Resolution 2118 allowed special steps in Syria. Some chemicals needed to be moved on a highway between Damascus and Homs. This road was still being fought over in December 2013. Syria asked for armored vehicles to help move the chemicals safely. In February 2014, Syria said rebels tried to attack two convoys moving chemical weapons.
OPCW director-general Uzumcu called the timeline "doable." But one of his experts called it "Herculean." The Economist magazine said the timeline was "ambitious." However, it was planned with U.S. and Russian experts who knew what the OPCW could do. Li Hong, from the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said the war and the cost would be a big burden for Syria. He called it "unrealistic" to expect chemicals to be gone by 2014.
In October 2013, Amy Smithson said Syria seemed to be helping. But she warned that Syria had a "very sorry track record" with nuclear inspectors. She said it is easier to hide chemical weapons than a nuclear program. Chemical weapons expert Gwyn Winfield wrote that Syria had a reason to keep some chemical weapons. This was to protect itself against Israel's suspected nuclear weapons. However, Ralf Trapp, a former OPCW official, was hopeful. He thought satellite surveillance would stop cheating. Syria had to allow inspections of any suspicious site.
There was a disagreement about how many chemical weapons sites were in areas being fought over. Syria's foreign minister said one-third of sites were in such areas. An FSA official said there were no chemical weapons in rebel-held areas. He said these sites were not on the front lines. The OPCW chief said one abandoned site was in rebel territory. Routes to others went through rebel areas. Malik Ellahi of the OPCW said few locations would be hard to reach.
By April 2014, experts like Ralf Trapp said the operation was moving very quickly. With 92.5% of the weapons removed or destroyed, Trapp noted that many people did not expect such speed during a civil war.
Later Work and Delays
In late October 2013, the OPCW expected Syria to meet the November 1 deadline. This was for destroying chemical weapon production and mixing equipment. By October 23, they had visited 18 of 23 declared sites. They used "low tech, quick and cheap" methods. This included filling equipment with concrete or smashing it. The OPCW said Syria had fully cooperated with the 27 inspectors.
On October 31, the OPCW announced that Syria had met the deadline. All declared equipment and facilities for chemical weapons production were destroyed. They visited 21 of 23 sites. The other two sites were too dangerous to inspect. But Syria told inspectors that these sites were empty. The OPCW said they were sure all critical equipment was destroyed. By early November, the search of declared sites was almost done. On November 7, the OPCW said one of the two unvisited sites was confirmed "dismantled and abandoned." This was partly based on images from Syria using a special camera. Later, in January 2014, U.S. Ambassador Robert Mikulak worried that the destruction was not complete and could be reversed.
On November 15, the OPCW approved a plan to move Syria's chemical weapons outside the country by February 5, 2014. There, the weapons would be destroyed. Most countries asked by the OPCW refused to take the 1,000 tons of chemicals. Belgium and France were still thinking about it in November 2013.
Norway and Denmark agreed to transport the chemical weapons from Syria to Italy. From Italy, they would go to a U.S. Navy ship for destruction at sea. The Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad and Norwegian marines would help. Norway hired the cargo ship MV Taiko. Denmark would use its frigate HDMS Esbern Snare and hired the civilian cargo ship Ark Futura.
The United States destroyed the most dangerous chemicals. These were supposed to be out of Syria by December 31. They were destroyed on the MV Cape Ray in the Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. used a special system called a Field Deployable Hydrolysis System. The UK gave the U.S. equipment and training to help process the chemicals faster. About 150 tons of other toxic chemicals were sent to the UK and destroyed there. Other chemicals were destroyed by companies.
The first shipment of chemical weapon parts left Syria on January 7, 2014. The December 31 deadline for removing priority chemicals was missed. The New York Times said the delay was because it was hard to move chemical weapons by land during a civil war. A second shipment left around January 27. That same day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon worried about the delays. He believed Syria had enough resources to move the weapons quickly.
On July 2, the Danish ship Ark Futura arrived in Italy. It carried the chemical weapons. These were then loaded onto the U.S. ship Cape Ray. The Cape Ray had two systems to neutralize the poisonous substances. On July 19, 2014, about 250 people protested in Greece. They were against destroying the chemical weapons in the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
Why There Were Delays
By January 30, 2014, only about four percent of the priority chemicals were removed. Syria kept blaming security problems. U.S. officials disagreed. They said Syria was causing the delays on purpose. On January 31, Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov said Syria was serious about its duties. The U.S. blamed Syria's Assad government for slowing down the removal. They thought Assad was delaying to get more security equipment. U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Mikulak said Syria's demands for armored containers and detectors were "without merit."
Around February 21, Syria suggested a 100-day plan to remove the chemicals. British official Philip Hall said the plan was "not adequate." The U.S. said destroying the chemicals once they were off-site would take 90 days. Syria's May removal deadline would not leave enough time to destroy all weapons by the end of June. Around March 4, Syria agreed to a 60-day plan. By March 4, almost a third of the weapons were removed or destroyed.
Syria missed a March 15 deadline to destroy its 12 chemical weapons production sites. Syria suggested sealing the entrances instead. The U.S. and its allies disagreed. They insisted on destruction.
By March 21, all of Syria's mustard agent was removed. On April 27, Syria missed its new 60-day deadline for removing all its chemical weapons. By May 23, Syria had removed or destroyed 92.5% of its declared chemical weapons.
On June 23, the head of OPCW, Ahmet Üzümcü, announced that the last of Syria's declared chemical weapons had been shipped out of the country. The last 8% of the chemicals were loaded onto ships at Latakia. The most toxic chemicals, like sarin parts and sulfur mustard, were destroyed by August 18 on the U.S. ship MV Cape Ray. The rest were destroyed in the U.S., UK, and Finland. On September 4, 2014, the head of the Joint Mission told the UN Security Council that 96% of Syria's declared weapons were destroyed. Plans were being made to destroy the remaining 12 production sites. On January 4, 2015, the OPCW said the destruction was complete.
Even with the delays, the OPCW said Syria's cooperation was "satisfactory" in July 2014.
Problems with Shipments
A newspaper in Norway reported in December 2015 that the operation was much more dramatic than people knew. There were rocket attacks near Latakia while the ship "Taiko" was docked. There were explosions and attacks around the docks. Boats that might have been trying suicide attacks came too close to the ships. The commander of the Norwegian frigate asked for explosives to be put on the ropes of the freighter "Taiko." This was so the ropes could be cut quickly in an emergency. This would let the ship get to safer waters fast.
From the start, the containers of chemicals were in bad shape. Some leaked dangerous materials and gases. The containers were filled quickly in a war zone. When almost half of the cargo showed leaks, an emergency meeting was held on the "Taiko." Representatives from OPCW, UN, USA, Norway, Denmark, Syria, and Finland were there. Norwegian soldiers were ordered to handle the situation. No country would let the ship dock with leaking material. So, Norwegian staff and ships had to go back to Syria. They dealt with the leaking containers and sometimes moved the material to different containers.
Violations and Continued Concerns
The Economist reported in October 2013 that Syria had listed 19 chemical weapons sites. But Western intelligence sources believed there were 45 sites. One U.S. official said it was unclear if this difference was "a deception" or just a "difference of definition." Experts said there might be incomplete records. Chemical weapons expert Winfield said the plan's success depended on Syria revealing all its chemical weapons. Much of it could be moved and spread across many sites.
Chlorine, a common industrial chemical, was reportedly used in gas attacks by the Syrian government in 2014. Chlorine was not on the list of banned chemicals in the agreement. However, using it as a weapon breaks the Chemical Weapons Convention. Reports of chlorine attacks continued. For example, the United Nations said chlorine was used by the Syrian government at least three times in 2016.
In July 2014, Assad told the OPCW about a "facility for the production of ricin." But he said all the ricin was gone before the Chemical Weapons Convention started. This late information made people doubt if Syria had been honest about its chemical weapons. The Israeli intelligence community believes the Assad government still has a "residual" chemical stockpile. This could be hundreds of kilograms to several tons of chemical weapons. This is about 1% of its original supply.
On April 4, 2017, a chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun using a banned chemical killed about 100 people. The OPCW found that the attack involved "sarin or a sarin-like substance." The United States and others blamed the Syrian government. The Syrian government said the incident was made up. Russia claimed Syrian bombs hit a rebel sarin storage. Experts do not believe the Syrian or Russian claims. On April 7, the United States attacked a Syrian airbase because of the chemical attack.
On August 17, 2017, Reuters reported that Syria had not fully given up its chemical weapons. Investigators and diplomats said there were "gaps, uncertainties, discrepancies." For example, the Syrian government gave wrong information about the types, uses, and amounts of chemicals. It is thought to still have at least 2,000 chemical bombshells that should have been changed to regular weapons.
On January 12, 2018, the United States told Syria to "eliminate all chemical weapons." This meant the U.S. believed such weapons still existed. A chemical attack on Douma happened on April 7, 2018. It killed at least 49 civilians. The Assad government was blamed. This also showed the belief that Syria still had chemical weapons.
In April 2018, it was reported that three Belgian companies sold chemicals to Syria between 2014 and 2016. This was against EU rules from 2013. These chemicals included 96 tons of isopropanol, which can be used to make sarin nerve gas. French and German companies also reportedly sold materials to Iran. These materials later appeared in Iranian chemical rockets in Syria.
In March 2023, the UN Security Council said Syria's chemical weapons declaration was "incomplete." The UN Disarmament Chief said Syria's claims "cannot be considered accurate." This meant Syria broke the Chemical Weapons Convention. The United States, UAE, Malta, Switzerland, France, UK, and other countries criticized Syria. They urged action to make Syria work with the OPCW.
Two months later, in May 2023, the UN Disarmament Chief repeated that Syria's statements were clearly false. She said the Assad government was trying to stop OPCW investigations. The United States, France, UK, Turkey, Japan, Switzerland, and other members demanded that the Assad government reveal all its chemical weapons. They also asked for full cooperation with OPCW teams.
See also
- 2017 Khan Shaykhun chemical attack
- International reactions to the 2013 Ghouta attacks
- Syria and weapons of mass destruction
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