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DISINFO: Syria does not possess any chemical weapons 

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

Tags:

United Nations Douma OPCW Khan Sheikhoun Chemical weapons/attack Syrian War

DISINFO: Syria does not possess any chemical weapons 

SUMMARY

[Syria] does not possess any chemical weapons, as part of fulfilling its obligations with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative absolving the Syrian regime of responsibility for chemical attacks in general.

The declared Syrian chemical weapon stockpile was reported to be completely destroyed in 2014. However, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) weapons inspectors could only authenticate thatdeclared chemical weapons had been destroyed, even though there were suspicions in the West that Syria had hidden as much as 10% of its stockpile.

The OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission confirmed that people in Khan Shaykhun were exposed to sarin, a chemical weapon, on 4 April 2017. The JIM found Syria’s Government responsible for the attack.

And in September 2017, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria summarised 33 separate incidents where it had found the use of chemical weapons.

On April 10 2018, Russia vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution that would have created a new inquiry to ascertain responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. In June, the OPCW members granted it the power to assign blame for chemical attacks.

The United Nations Human Rights Council blamed the Syrian government forces for the attack.

Read more about chemical attacks in Syria here and here, and other cases claiming that the White Helmets used chemical weapons in Syria in order to accuse the Assad government and that the White Helmets have falsified chemical attacks evidence.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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