Chemical Weapons in Syria a Possibility Again?

The world continues to watch as the Assad regime engages in evil behavior, violating God’s and man’s laws with impunity. Each time Assad crosses “red lines,” many world leaders wring their hands, condemn it, and move on to whatever they interpret as more pressing. We have all been part of this theater of the macabre for six years. In six years, the western world has failed to stop the Assad regime from murdering its own subjects, including children, using, among other things, the very weapons that were seen as too horrible to use in WWI, 100 years ago.

In September and October 2013, the UN and OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) ordered Syria to destroy its chemical weapons, and with the "help" of Russia, the international community declared victory in this disposal. It is noteworthy that the Assad regime would use chemical weapons on numerous occasions from 2015 through today, including the use of chlorine gas and sarin.

On either May 18 or 19, Assad allegedly used chlorine munitions on the village of Kabana on the border of Idlib province. The Idlib Health Directorate reported that four people were suffering from “respiratory failure.” The use of chemical munitions may indicate the start of another offensive by Assad’s regime to take Idlib province from rebels, an area that has many refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war. Assad’s forces have been known to attack schools, residences, refugee camps, and healthcare facilities. Although this attack has not yet been confirmed by third-party sources, it would be in line with the Assad regime's tactics. Assad’s forces and their Russian allies are allegedly using incendiary munitions to destroy farmland.

Further, as this author has pointed out many times, the question is moot. Whether or not Assad uses chemical weapons rather than bullets and conventional bombs is irrelevant to the major issue. He is killing civilians; the use of chemical weapons is simply another example of evil, not the root of the evil itself.

It is always an amazing act of immoral rationalization that the world was unmoved by tens of thousands of deaths by the Assad regime when they used bullets, mortars, tanks, and conventional bombs — but when they used chemical weapons, they had to be stopped. In the typical thinking of liberal internationalism, that was solved by the deal brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, but liberal internationalists worship the deal more than its outcome: The Syrians give up their chemical weapons, and then they are free to kill with conventional means. Now, even that twisted philosophy is again, as it was for the past few years, turned on its head by the use, once more, of chemical weapons.

The Russian pattern of behavior continues, as in the past, the Russians have blamed the rebels for orchestrating chemical attacks against themselves. This denial and deception campaign strategy is used by both the Russians and the Iranians who wish to use Syria as an appendage for foreign adventurism and a base for offensive operations.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom appear as though they would take retaliatory measures if the use of chemical weapons is confirmed. On May 21, 2019, the U.S. Department of State issued this: “Unfortunately, we continue to see signs that the Assad regime may be renewing its use of chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack in northwest Syria on the morning of May 19, 2019. We are still gathering information on this incident, but we repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately.”

The UN Security Council met on May 28, 2019, to discuss the recent attack. The parties seemed more interested in “reinforcing” the ceasefire agreements than in holding the Assad regime accountable.

It is rational to try to establish the truth of the matter. However, regardless, the Assad regime is an impediment not only to our allies such as Israel, and America’s overall Middle East strategy, but the regime’s continued existence strains American credibility for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Lamont Colucci has experience as a diplomat with the U.S. Dept. of State and is today an Associate Professor of Politics and Government at Ripon College. He has published two books as the sole author entitled "Crusading Realism: The Bush Doctrine and American Core Values After 9/11," and a two-volume series entitled "The National Security Doctrines of the American Presidency: How they Shape our Present and Future." He was contributing author of two books entitled "The Day That Changed Everything: Looking at the Impact of 9/11 at the End of the Decade" and "Homeland Security and Intelligence." He is also Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council, Senior Advisor in National Security for Contingent Security, Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, to the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and member of the National Task Force on National and Homeland Security. Find out more at lamontcolucci.com. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.