The revelation of the August 21st chemical weapons attack caused the United States to consult with other nations and organize strategically to strike Syria's chemical weapons facilities. Turkey, France and Saudi Arabia were the only other nations who signed on to the strike, which never never happened due to a lack of momentum and support from U.S. citizens and other nations. Britain, the Arab League, the U.N. secretary general and others condemned the Assad regime's chemical attack on August 21st.
Russia, an ally of Syria's President Assad, and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, brokered a deal to prevent U.S.-led missile strikes by requiring that Syria destroy or handover their stockpile of chemical weapons to the U.S. or the United Nations. Syria agreed to destroy the equipment used to make chemical weapons and allow U.N. inspectors to search for chemical evidence by November, 2013. Syria was put on a schedule for the process of dismantling their chemical weapons. However, "Syria had already missed a December 31 deadline to relinquish the most poisonous chemical agents, including mustard gas and sarin precursors." (Deutsch 1). Syria has agreed to give up its entire chemical weapons stockpile by February 5th, 2014 but, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Syria has turned over less than 5% of its 1,300 metric tons of sarin gas. In response to this, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said that British representatives are planning to call attention to the fact that they are behind schedule at a U.N. meeting and U.S. officials have not taken the option of force off the table.
There were also reports of chemical weapon attacks in May, to which President Obama responded by agreeing to send arms to the rebels to help them combat the Syrian military. The U.S. also suggested instituting a no-fly zone over Syria to protect the rebels from bombing attacks. Many countries in the European Union (E.U.) have also sent arms to the Syrian rebels.The U.S. and E.U. countries have also sent non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels. The United Nations has also condemned the violence in Syria as a whole. Neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan have taken in over 2 million Syrian refugees and over 100,000 refugees have been granted asylum in European nations. Many of the neighboring nations have also kept "open borders" for Syrian refugees, making it especially easy for Syrians to achieve refugee status in these neighboring nations. The United Nations and many human rights groups have also condemned the systematic killings in Syria.
International leaders are very dedicated to making sure that Syria disposes its chemical weapons and are committed to ensuring the Syrian people's right to life and humane treatment.
Russia, an ally of Syria's President Assad, and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, brokered a deal to prevent U.S.-led missile strikes by requiring that Syria destroy or handover their stockpile of chemical weapons to the U.S. or the United Nations. Syria agreed to destroy the equipment used to make chemical weapons and allow U.N. inspectors to search for chemical evidence by November, 2013. Syria was put on a schedule for the process of dismantling their chemical weapons. However, "Syria had already missed a December 31 deadline to relinquish the most poisonous chemical agents, including mustard gas and sarin precursors." (Deutsch 1). Syria has agreed to give up its entire chemical weapons stockpile by February 5th, 2014 but, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Syria has turned over less than 5% of its 1,300 metric tons of sarin gas. In response to this, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said that British representatives are planning to call attention to the fact that they are behind schedule at a U.N. meeting and U.S. officials have not taken the option of force off the table.
There were also reports of chemical weapon attacks in May, to which President Obama responded by agreeing to send arms to the rebels to help them combat the Syrian military. The U.S. also suggested instituting a no-fly zone over Syria to protect the rebels from bombing attacks. Many countries in the European Union (E.U.) have also sent arms to the Syrian rebels.The U.S. and E.U. countries have also sent non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels. The United Nations has also condemned the violence in Syria as a whole. Neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan have taken in over 2 million Syrian refugees and over 100,000 refugees have been granted asylum in European nations. Many of the neighboring nations have also kept "open borders" for Syrian refugees, making it especially easy for Syrians to achieve refugee status in these neighboring nations. The United Nations and many human rights groups have also condemned the systematic killings in Syria.
International leaders are very dedicated to making sure that Syria disposes its chemical weapons and are committed to ensuring the Syrian people's right to life and humane treatment.