Global Watchdog Holds Emergency Meeting on Syria's Chemical Weapons Stockpile

The fall of Bashar al-Assad has opened opportunities to investigate and dismantle Syria's chemical weapons program, with concerns over compliance and potential risks.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) convened an emergency meeting following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to address the country's chemical weapons stockpile.
Syria, a member of the OPCW since 2013, is obligated to declare and destroy all chemical weapons, but investigations found repeated use of sarin and chlorine gas by Assad's forces during the civil war.
The OPCW hopes Syria's new transitional government, led by Mohammed al-Bashir, will cooperate with inspectors to ensure compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
U.S. officials view Assad's fall as an opportunity to eliminate Syria's chemical arsenal and secure sites to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of armed groups.
Ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Syria raise concerns about potential contamination and the destruction of critical evidence related to past chemical weapons use.