The recent use of chemical weapons in Syria and the agreement of the Syrian government to give up its chemical weapon stockpiles and production facilities have focused attention on how Syria acquired chemical weapons in the first place.
The OPCW has said that the Syrian government has completed the functional destruction of critical equipment for all of its declared chemical weapons production facilities and mixing/filling plants, rendering them inoperable.
The abduction, in northern Syria, of seven Red Cross workers is a stark reminder of how dangerous it is to work in that war-torn country, even for such an internationally recognised humanitarian organisation, even for people doing non-partisan work aimed at helping anyone who needs it.
The UN Security Council has unanimously voted to adopt a binding resolution to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles previously agreed by Russia and the US.
The Syrian rebels have long felt deserted by the international community who have stood by and let Assad’s superior military force leave many of those fighting for a secular democracy dead.