Civil War: The Use Of Chemical Weapons In Syria

Poison Gas/Chemical Warfare usage, while not harming physical structures preventing the collateral damage of homes and buildings, causes a high casualty rate in all living things. It is indescriminate and robs life equally be they related or not to a target of military or strategic importance. Gas usage has been widely considered uncivilized, but the French resorted to its usage in August, 1914 during the first World War in an attempt to rout the Germans. Unfortunately, the Germans were the first to give gas warfare serious development and it became used extensively before the war was over. On the battlefield it prooved effective in eliminating hostile threats in an inhumane way, but this does not make it morally acceptable. In more recent times ISIS has been reported to using Poison Gas in Syria against both military and civilians in an indescriminate manner. This sort of attack ignores international laws as well as inhumanely cause widespread harm. In this day and age, this sort of attack is unnecessary and is why it was outlawed in the first place even back during the first World War.

The Syrian Civil War has had a profound effect of all Syrians as well as neighbouring countries and the international community. With more than 11 million homeless Syrians comes consequences beyond what most of the world population has ever experienced or anticipated. Of the displaced, almost 5 million are refugees outside Syria and around 6 million have been displaced inside Syria, with half of all displaced Syrians being children. The main causes of displacement amongst the population is the violence committed by all sides of the war, and which often targets civilians or centres of high civilian activity (such as markets, hospitals, schools, workplaces or high density residential areas). One main group heavily affected by the conflict

Chemical warfare, mastered by the Germans, was a savage form of fighting during World War I. This weaponry was effective in mass carnage, causing countries affected by Germany’s initial chemical attacks to begin formulating their own chemical weapons even though it went against their beliefs. Chemical warfare was revolutionary but was not an ideal weapon due to the lack of consistency and immoral brutality of the death that ensued.

Fear that terrorist could potentially get their hands on Syrian chemical weapons were elevated upon news that Bashar Assad’s military had used chemical weapons against civilians in Syria (Borger, 2013). These actions clearly crossed the “red line” that President Obama had drawn. Speculation on what the

There are so many issues facing the world today that it is sometimes hard to understand why they occur and what they affect. Today it is apparent that many people take the environment of the earth for granted. Pollution, energy, and natural resources are all seen as an environmental element that can threaten our future and destroy the environment. But there is another threat to the environment that is certainly overlooked by today's society and was overlooked by many in the past. This element is the act of war. There are many different aspects of war that can affect the environment and the people of our world, but there is one specific facet of war that could be considered most detrimental… chemical warfare. "Chemical warfare is

On April 22, in the Second Battle of Ypres, in World War 1 (WWI), the first chemical weapon was used. After over 101 years of this dilemma, the world has yet to find a solution for the pressing issue of chemical weapons as a threat to international security. Chemical weapons are highly toxic and are made to expose radiation and consequently kill living organisms. There are many types of these deadly gases, hence many different effects on people. These include brain damage, skin rashes/damage, and asphyxiation. After WWI, the Geneva Protocol was created in 1925; this banned the use of chemical weapons in any conflict. It was signed by most of the countries with the resources to create such weapons, but not all countries signed it. Later, in 1993, the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC), also called the Convention on the

Asphyxiation, foaming of the mouth, vomiting and death were the aftermath that Syrians in the town of Khan Sheikhoun experienced on April 4th, 2017 after they had been bombarded with chemical gas. When the smoke cleared from the airstrike that dropped the chemical gas, many Syrians were left without mothers, fathers, children and siblings. Behind this gruesome attack was Syrian President Bashar al-Assad whose actions were not left unnoticed by many news outlets. Once this attack occurred, online informational news websites, as well as political blogs, were quick to cover the Syrian Chemical Attack. These two genres have a goal of spreading information on current events to their readers. Online informational news websites, such as CNN and

As early is 2013 the deadly gas has been used in Damascus and Khan al-Assal attacks. This is a terrible reminder that chemicals such as sarin are still be developed to be used as weapons. According to Sullivan "U.S. has obtained fresh evidence that sarin nerve gas was used in an attack and that taking military action against the government of President Bashar al Assad is needed (2013, para 1). This attack did spark outrage from the U.S. and other countries but no military response occurred against

Two month old babies gasp for air, while tears run down their faces from the mustard gas that was used on the Syrian citizens. Reports and videos have shown shells falling from helicopters containing chemical weapons, but only the Syrian government has access to helicopters. The United States has to step in and fight to protect the Syrian people against their own government because chemical weapons have been banned from being used worldwide, chemical weapons cause casualties that are not needed, and if higher powered nations like the U.S. do not intervene in Syria’s use of chemical weapons, more nations will see it as an opportunity to use chemical weapons in the future.

The fact that we cannot use chemical weapons is a very bad thing. We could have used these weapons in the Vietnam War. With all the tall grass and dense forests, our soldiers were not prepared for the close up combat. If we had used the chemical agents in that forest, we could have eliminated hidden enemy forces and we would have saved many American soldiers’ lives.

During the civil war that broke out in Syria between the Syrian Government under the Assad Regime and the various rebel groups each backed by differing allies, fatalities have been common with firefights often erupting between the groups. However, the most terrifying weapon that has arisen from the fighting was the resurrection of the long prohibited use chemical weapons. In an article by Anthony Deutsch of Reuters it states “The findings provide the first official confirmation of use of sulfur mustard, commonly known as mustard gas, in Syria since it agreed to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile, which included sulfur mustard… Syria is supposed to have completely surrendered the toxic chemicals 18 months ago. Their use violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.” Similarly, in an article comparing the use of chemical weapons to conventional

Iran and Iraq had been in war since 1980 and Iran had used chemical weapons in the war since 1984 against enemy soldiers but in 1988 something even worse happened – chemical weapons were used against civilians. This was a difficult time for Western countries who were allies with Iraq because using chemical weapons was considered illegal by international rules but not by Iraq – and allies chose to close one eye. In this essay I am going to discuss when and where were chemical weapons used, by and against whom and how did Western countries react.

One of the most dangerous and threatening groups in the world, ISIS has now obtained illegal chemical weapons, which is drawing much concern. In the recent article “U.S. Officials Believe ISIS Likely Used Chemical Weapons in Iraq This Week”, Elliot Hannon describes the ordeal with ISIS and their obtainment of deadly chemical weapons. It was not up until the recent attack in Iraq where chemical weapons were used, and their supply of such weapons is very alarming. This is information about ISIS is new to everyone, and their advanced capabilities is unnerving. The author exposed the concern of ISIS holds especially now, in a quote from the Wall Street Journal which states, "The use of mustard agent would mark an upgrade in Islamic State’s

As of recent, there is an ongoing debate over the response of the Obama administration related to the events occurring in Syria and the potential violation by the Syrian government of customary international law and relevant treaties and conventions in the use of chemical weapons against its own people. The conflict itself has history which is required to be thoroughly examined before conclusions can be placed and actions are to be carried out. The Syrian Civil War has not only affected the lives of Syria’s citizens but has becoming a pressing issue in direct international relations between countries like Russia and the United States. Obama’s administration has their own response to the crisis at hand and believes that a military strike is a fully legal move to make given the situation present at hand. According to the evidence, it would seem possible that a violation has not occurred and that the threat by Obama’s administration to use force in the Syrian crisis stands on illegitimate grounds because the proceedings are done by Syrian government on their own grounds. However the atrocious actions committed by the Assad regime could in fact provide legality to military intervention by the United States. Finally, the focus will be to determine whether chemical weapons are in fact the sole factor for international intervention.

Chemical weapons are toxic gases, which use in the wars such as World War 1. Chemical weapons used in First World War and they killed a lot of people even children. In addition, chemical weapons are unless color, so people can’t see them. Also, most of people who died through the First World War were civilians. Therefore, who were responsible about them? In addition, people who survived had dangerous and permanent diseases such as cancer, asthma … etc. Even people’s genes effected by these toxic gases and they cause a lot of genetic problems that appeared in a second generation. Even soldiers who were pushed to this war. Then, they died or effected who were responsible about their families. In addition chemical weapons burned a lot of trees and they changed plant characteristics. Also, these gases can react with others to change air and weather characteristics. Therefore, chemical weapons effect on our