The United States views the potential downfall of Assad as an opportunity to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile permanently.

The United States views the potential downfall of Assad as an opportunity to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile permanently.The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is focused on securing and eliminating the remaining stockpiles of chemical munitions in Syria. Investigations have substantiated the Assad regime’s consistent use of chemical weapons, resulting in the deaths and injuries of thousands during the civil conflict.

A senior U.S. official stated on Thursday that the United States views the potential downfall of Bashar al-Assad as a significant opportunity to eradicate chemical weapons from Syria permanently, as these weapons have been employed by his regime to inflict harm on countless individuals throughout the civil war.

Nicole Shampaine, the U.S. ambassador to the OPCW, emphasized in an interview with Reuters that Washington will provide robust support for the global chemical weapons watchdog’s initiatives to dismantle Syria’s chemical arsenal, ahead of a confidential OPCW meeting regarding Syria in The Hague.

Syria became a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2013, following an agreement between the United States and Russia, committing to the total elimination of its chemical arsenal. However, despite over ten years of inspections, Syria continues to retain prohibited munitions, which investigators have confirmed were repeatedly utilized by Assad’s forces throughout the 13-year civil conflict.

“We aim to complete the task, and this presents a significant opportunity for Syria’s new leadership to collaborate with the international community and the OPCW to achieve a definitive resolution,” stated Shampaine.

She anticipates significant support in efforts to capitalize on this opportunity and to ensure Syria adheres to its commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is a treaty-based entity located in the Netherlands, responsible for the enforcement of the 1997 chemical nonproliferation treaty. It supervised the elimination of 1,300 metric tons of Syrian chemical weapons and their precursors, with a substantial quantity being destroyed aboard a U.S. vessel equipped with specialized hydrolysis systems.

The Syrian government, under President Assad, along with its military ally Russia, has consistently denied the use of chemical weapons during the ongoing civil war in Syria.

Three separate investigations—conducted by a joint U.N.-OPCW mechanism, the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification team, and a U.N. war crimes inquiry—have determined that forces loyal to the Syrian government employed the nerve agent sarin and chlorine-filled barrel bombs throughout the protracted conflict against opposition groups.

Given the ongoing turmoil in Syria, characterized by numerous armed factions throughout the nation, the OPCW is likely to prioritize swift action to avert the potential acquisition of chemical weapons by unauthorized entities.

According to diplomatic sources, immediate objectives encompass identifying and securing chemical weapons facilities, conducting an inventory of existing chemicals and munitions, and establishing safe methods for their destruction.

The potential fall of the 54-year Assad family regime also presents a chance to access locations where chemical weapons were deployed and to gather pertinent evidence, as noted by these sources.

Diplomats at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) perceive the departure of Assad as a pivotal moment to access the facilities involved in the production and storage of chemical weapons, which have included sarin nerve agents, chlorine bombs, and various other toxic munitions.

The OPCW has engaged in 28 rounds of discussions with Assad’s administration. Among the outstanding concerns are the “potentially undeclared, full-scale development and production of chemical weapons at two declared chemical weapons-related facilities,” as stated by OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias in November.

This matter will be addressed during a session of the OPCW’s 41-member executive council, which has been convened following the abrupt downfall of Assad’s government due to a rapid rebel offensive after years of military stalemate.

“The Syrian regime, under Assad, has repeatedly employed chemical weapons, including sarin and chlorine barrel bombs, without declaring them to the OPCW or verifiably destroying them. This situation raises significant proliferation concerns,” remarked Shampaine.

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