Analysis of Chemical Weapons and Human Rights Violations in Syria

This essay analyzes the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war, examining the international legal framework, particularly the Geneva Protocol and the Chemical Weapons Convention, that prohibits such weapons. It explores the concept of "red lines" and the responses of international actors, including the United States and France, to the Assad regime's alleged use of nerve gas and other chemical agents. The essay discusses the impact of these weapons on civilians, the challenges faced by healthcare systems in treating victims, and the role of organizations like the OPCW. It also reviews the historical context of chemical warfare, from World War I to the Wyoming Agreement, and the ongoing violations of international norms in Syria, highlighting the failures of accountability and the need for stronger international action to protect human rights and deter the use of these devastating weapons.

SYRIA, CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AND RED
LINES
2019
HUMAN RIGHTS
Dell

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This essay will analyze the forbearance on the chemical weapon’s usage in the civil wars
then will apply its results on the impacts faced by the ordinary citizens after the wars of Syria.
Use of weapons made up of dangerous chemicals is absolutely banned in the international armed
crash, which is clearly mentioned in “the international humanitarian law and international
criminal law”. This prohibition is not that clear in international armed conflict act, which
suggests the needs of legal reforms that are to be banned firmly upon the usage of these
dangerous weapon in every armed disputes. Further it is observed that Syria itself did not crossed
the red line which was legal for rationalizing the military intervention. Rather, the use of the
chemical weapons are just the components which determines the crises which are existing in the
humanity which requires strong international action.
“A chemical weapon” is a chemical which is toxic in nature and can result in the killing,
causing injury, unable to function normally, and also irritation in the sensory which are done
through the delivery system like an artillery shell, rocket or ballistic missile. They can also be
conceived as a weapon causing mass damages and their usage in the armed disputes is regarded
as a breach of international laws. Its basic form includes nerve agents, choking agent, and blood
agents and these are categorized by its effects on the human body (Price, 2018).
US President Barak Obama called the usage of such dangerous weapons as “a red line
for the world”, and showed the evidence which proved that Assad regime in Syria had used
nerve gas against its own people. Chemical weapons are considered a red line of the world so
necessary actions must be taken to protect and win the race of international progress against the
rapid increase in the usage of chemical weapons. The resident of France Emmanuel Macron
stated in one report that they had evidence against Syria that they had used chemical weapons
against their own citizens (Price, 2018).
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Some writers such as John Mueller, Nick Gillespie, and John Glaser argued and stated
that conventional weapons are less hurtful to the civilians and the military personal as compared
to that of chemical ones, this was because chemical weapons can without killing any armies
potentially incapacitate them.
In New York it was stated that, the government must strengthen their tools which can
reserve the human rights and the humanitarian groups of the precedents by banning the global
usage of the destructing weapons.
The 1st world war was the occasion when a large scale of chemical weapons were used in
the state of armed conflict, the extreme unpleasant results of these attacks were seen mostly on
the British and German soldiers. This forbearing act gave raise to formation of Geneva Protocol
in the year 1925, which was subsequently signed by 138 nations. This was the formal regulation
which recognized the usage of the weapons made up of chemicals as a red line for all the
communities of the communities and their people. U.S and USSR took another step against
chemical weapon in the year 1989 i.e. the Wyoming Agreement, an agreement made to cease the
production of chemical weapons and setting up an inspection regime, then again in the year 1993
Chemical Weapon convention (CWC) was passed to push the red line and suspended the
production and the uses of the chemical weapon (Naqvi, 2017). After that the Institutions for the
Chemical Weapons prohibition was enforced that declared that 72% of the world’s stockpiles
have been eliminated up to the year 2011. However it has been noticed that with the growth of
these prohibitory regulations, the use of chemical weapon has ceased a lot since 1993.At the time
when the entire world was trying to reduce the usage of the chemical weapon, in Syria and 6
other nations in the world has regularly and actively chose to ignore and refuse the ratifications
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of CWC on red lines on chemical weapons and have become one of the biggest nation having the
collection of chemical weapons in the world (Bentley, 2017).
The impact of chemical weapon is basically seen via injuries or in capabilities of the
enemy so it has been an element of warfare since World War 1. Thus RAND was developed to
overcome it. It exercised the power of training the public health agencies to respond back to the
chemical warfare, and also examined the long term consequences of the chemical attacks and
lastly created the guidelines for improving the individuals to be prepared for the chemical,
radiological, nuclear and biological emergencies
In 2012 a Syrian official declared that chemical weapons will not be used against it’s of
citizens rather they would be reserved for being used against the external forces, but this
declaration could not be kept up and unleashing nerve gas was a huge step over it. No state other
than Syria has ever dared to cross the line of usage of these dangerous and risky weapons in the
quarter 100 years. The last century witnessed the violence throughout the world which included
breakdown of the political parties, cleaning of the ethical norms, conflicts in the religions and
broadens the wars. In short all the laws, norms and standards were stretched and broken.
Improving actions were taken repeatedly by the outside powers for the victims and refugees in
this conflict. But there are no serious consequences taken now a days for the usage of these
destructing weapons (Bleek & Kramer, 2016).
In Syria extreme pain is been suffered by the victims attacked by the chemical weapons
and many have been killed or injured by the conventional weapons. Both were hazardous but
more outrage of killing people was laying on use of chemical weapons then they were killed by
the conventional way, this was because there were restrictions which were imposed on the usage
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of the chemical weapons imposed and enforced by U.S. In Syria use of chemical weapon is still
unpunished which may be considered as danger for the precedents (Price , 2019).
‘Health of the public responds to the biological and chemical weapons and guidance of
WHO’ (2014)-It is the 2nd edition of WHO 1970 and includes information which were made for
guiding and preparing the public for responding to the deliberate usage of the biological and the
chemical agents that may hamper their wellbeing. Legal aspect includes the Geneva protocol
1925, which prohibits the use such weapons which are dangerous for the health of the humans
but can keep their possession (Walker, 2012).
The civil war in Syria also known as Syrian crises is an outgoing civil war in Syria
amongst the forced loyal to the Ba'ath government and those who are seeking to take it away.
This conflict set to work in the year 2011 with the nationwide demonstration popularly. These
demonstration were the part of wider protesting movement in the nationwide and occurred
mostly in the Arab countries (H & H, 2017).
The president Barak Obama in the white house, rose garden delivered a speech on “U.S.
Government Assessment of the Syrian Governments use of chemical weapon in the year 2013”,
in his speech he declared that they were ready to pass an order of striking in Syria, Its occurrence
was necessary because of the recent chemical weapon attack in Syria which had a dangerous as
well as a negative impact on a regional allies of U.S. which was sharing one of its border with
Syria. In his talk he also highlighted his rights for carrying out his defensive acts without any
particular congressional authorization, this step can make his country stronger (Ward, 2018).
Provisions of the bill-1st section of the bill provides a short title to the Authorization for
the use of Military Force against the Government of Syria to respond to the use of chemical
weapons. 2nd section authorizes the U.S. president to use their armed forces in a limited and
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specified manner against the legitimate military targets in Syria for achieving their goals i.e. to
respond to the weapon used for destruction by Syrian Government, deter such weapons for the
national security protection, degrade the capacity of Syria in using such weapon in the future and
to prevent the transfer of terrorists group of other states with Syria. 3rd section deals with
authorizing the U.S. armed forces on the ground in Syria for combat operating purposes. 4th
section sets the timeline for the military actions, whereas the 5th one is divided into 2 parts out of
which first determines the policy used by U.S.to change the momentum on Syria battlefield and
create a favorable conditions for negotiating the settlements and end the conflict and the second
stated the policies of the U.S. government aiming to degrade the ability of Assad regime in Syria
to use the weapons causing mass destructions and damages and along with it upgraded the
capabilities of opposite military forces of Syria. 6th section required the president the congress’s
consultation before submitting a strategy to the U.S. government for gaining a negotiation by the
political settlement in Syria’s conflict, which included the comprehensive review on the
diplomatic, political, economic and military policies by the U.S. It would also include
information regarding the aid by America given to the rebellion group, efforts in dealing with the
terrorist etc. 7th section sets up a series of reports required which obligates the President for
reporting to the congress about the growth achieved during the mission and also all the financial
costs and other operational impacts, while 8th one clarifies that section 2 cannot be considered as
a declaration of the war (brooks, et al., 2018).
One of a leading report by Tobias Schneider, Theresa Lutkefend found that there were
around 336 chemical weapon attack over the course of civil wars in Syria which were
significantly much more then could have been commonly known about. Approximately 90% of
all the attacks occurred after the occurrence of well-known incident of red line in 2013. They had
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closely, logically and strategically intervened the Syrian military with their warfare campaign.
The Assad regime was seem to be filled with chlorine munitions which were at least 89% of
chemical attacks throughout the war derived from the conventional barrel or lob bombs (Kranert
& Horan , 2018).
However with the above discussions and reports it is suggested that the attack on the
healthcare by the chemical attacks in Syria cannot be considered as exceptional but are tricks in
the conflict. Chemical attack can also be considered as ineffective of the OPCW mechanism and
the liability is passed to the international community for deterring these attacks. Attacks of
chemical are to be restricted because they have inhuman effects, contempt the universal
humanity and create a sense of disgust and loathing. Its indiscriminating nature means that there
are only limited options for protecting the civilians from getting impacted, injured or influenced
from it. No doubt the chemical attacks are illegal and they are ban under the customary
international law. ‘The Geneva protocol and Chemical Weapon Convention’ also imposes
restrictions on the uses of chemical weapons and binds Syria. After the attack in 2013 Syria also
became a party to CWC and agreed to destroy their Workplace where they used to store and
produce their chemical weapons under the supervision of OPCW (‘the organization for the
prohibition of chemical weapons’). But the reposts from Douma and others suggested that Syria
has not kept up with its commitment dine to the CWC and had neither of their backers. This
breach of commitment by Syria has shattered the health systems and it became difficult for the
affected cities to struggle and manage with the difficulty so faced and identify the exact used
chemicals and also spare medical supplies which were already insufficient to treat the injurious
and to reverse the neurological symptoms. The reports of the local medical sources suggested
that they have administered more than 500 cases having the same symptoms i.e. of poisoned by
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chemicals which were consistent with an organ-phosphorous which became the base of nerve
agent and others in Syria. Some reports also mentioned about the contents of chlorine in the
weapons.
Thus it is a fact that the international community needs to know and also face the reality
that the chemical or any other form of attack is not an exception but a critical part of the regime’s
strategy.
References
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Bentley, M., 2017. Instability and incoherence: Trump, Syria, and chemical weapons. Critical
Studies on Security, 5(2), pp. 168-172.
Bleek, P. C. & Kramer, N. J., 2016. Eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons: implications for
addressing nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. The Nonproliferation Review, 23(1-2), pp.
197-230.
brooks, J., Erickson, T. B. & Kayden, S., 2018. Responding to chemical weapons violations in
Syria: legal, health, and humanitarian recommendations. Conflict and Health.
K. & H, J., 2017. TRUMP AND HIS NATIONAL SECURITY SYSTEM THE FIRST 100
DAYS. Pro Quest, 19(3), pp. 297-323.
Kranert, M. & Horan , G., 2018. Doing Politics: Discursivity, performativity and mediation in
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Naqvi, Y., 2017. Crossing the red line: The use of chemical weapons in Syria and what should
happen now. International Review of the Red Cross, 99(906), pp. 959-993.
Price , R., 2019. Syria and the Chemical Weapons Taboo. Journal of Global Security Studies,
4(1), pp. 37-52.
Price, R. M., 2018. The Chemical Weapons Taboo. s.l.:Cornell University Press.
Walker, J. R., 2012. The UK and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons Arms Control and
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Ward, A., 2018. How Obama’s “red line” fiasco led to Trump bombing Syria. VOX.
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