ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a summary of the actions taken in regard to dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile in response to the Syrian government’s attack on the Ghouta urban area near Damascus in 2013. Syria relied on external chemical industries for many of its chemical precursors, claiming that the intended use was for agriculture. Syria also had a long-time relationship with the former Soviet Union for the purposes of procuring military hardware and military support. The traditional view is that Assad developed chemical or biological weapons as a strategic deterrent against Israel’s superior conventional capability. The Syrian government agreed to allow a UN investigation team, which was already in country investigating other alleged chemical incidents, access to the site of the August 25 attacks. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons team would train the Syrians on how to safely secure and handle the chemicals as well as oversee the disposal process on the Cape Ray.
