Syria Begins Destruction of Chemical Weapons Materials

Syrian authorities have initiated the destruction of remnants from a chemical weapons program established under former President Bashar al-Assad, according to Syrian and United Nations officials. This marks the first such destruction in over a decade. The materials being destroyed include raw materials and munitions similar to those used in gas attacks during the civil war, as reported by diplomats at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday. UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu stated that for the first time since 2014, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has verified the destruction of chemical munitions in Syria. Syria's new leadership discovered remnants of the chemical weapons program in May, which included one additional production facility, a newly identified chemical used in nerve agent production, and empty chemical munitions. Nakamitsu noted that Syria also declared two storage facilities for these newly discovered materials. Last month, the OPCW sent a team to Syria to verify the destruction of 'category-three' chemical weapons, which are defined as unfilled munitions and equipment used for chemical weapons release. The team confirmed the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs during this mission. Syria's UN envoy Ibrahim Olabi stated that this is the first destruction process since the regime change and emphasized the importance of this work for regional security. However, he mentioned that repeated Israeli attacks have hindered some operations and posed risks to the teams involved. Earlier this year, Syrian authorities detained 18 individuals suspected of involvement in the chemical weapons program, including high-ranking officials. Olabi indicated that Syria is preparing to conduct the first court hearing for these suspects.