Questions tagged [chemical-weapons]

A chemical weapon is any toxic chemical that can cause death, injury, incapacitation and sensory irritation.

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How does the OPCW insure that the scientists hired by the FFM are objective, independent and competent?

The experts chosen by the FFM were described as internationally recognised, coming from three different countries, working independently and using “different methodologies and approaches for their ...
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Are thermobaric weapons considered a conventional weapon under international law?

See title question. As far as I can tell from my reading, a key mechanism of thermobaric lethality seems to involve its chemical compounds. For example: If the fuel deflagrates but does not detonate, ...
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Which laboratories confirmed Navalny was poisoned by Novichok?

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-09-14/german-govt-labs-confirm-navalny-was-poisoned-with-novichok The German government said tests by labs in France and Sweden backed up findings by a ...
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What are the implications of the poisoning of Alexey Navalny with respect to the proliferation and use of banned chemical weapons?

On November 28th 2019, as a consequence of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) updated its Chemical Weapons ...
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Why raise so much fuss about the Skripal poisoning?

On the surface, the Skripal poisoning seems like a minor issue on the scale of international politics: a couple of Russian secret service agents poison a couple of Russian citizens in their UK home. ...
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Has the OPCW submitted its report relevant to the alleged April 7, 2018 chemical weapon attack in Douma to the organisation's member states?

Has the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) submitted its report relevant to the alleged April 7, 2018 chemical weapon attack in Douma to the organisation's member states? If ...
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What does the Assad regime gain from the use of "chemical weapons" on Syrian civilians? [duplicate]

What does Assad hope to gain from the use of these so called chemical weapons that the west is claiming he's using on his people? To me it would only make things worse for his regime and give even ...
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Why would Assad use chemical weapons in the civil war as of 2018?

The US has recently accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in the civil war. However it seems to me that Assad has little to gain from doing so: Chemical weapons give a casus belli ...
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Does Russia's veto at the UN Security Council end any role for the United Nations in investigating the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria?

This afternoon, a resolution at the UN Security Council, aimed to establish an independent investigation into alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria, was vetoed by Russia. Is there a way that the ...
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Why is the UK against joint inquiry into the poisoning of Sergey Skripal? Is it a deadlock?

Today at an emergency meeting of the OPCW, Russia proposed a joint UK/Russia inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy Sergey Skripal. However, the UK members described this proposal as "perverse"...
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Why didn't the UK release its results about Novichok when Russia asked for it?

Following this article, why didn't the UK release its results about Novichok when Russia asked for it?
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International rules on how to deal with chemical weapon attacks (OPCW, CWC)

Currently, Russia is accusing the UK of not following standard procedures apparently put forward by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and in the Chemical Weapons ...
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Are there any facts according to which the Russian government is responsible for the chemical attack in Great Britain?

Today, the Government of Russia was officially accused by Prime Minister Theresa May of the recent chemical attack in Great Britain, but are there any facts on which this accusation is based? By fact ...
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Why are states purportedly performing assassinations with chemical and radioactive weapons?

Purportedly the Russian state assassinated Alexander Litvinenko by poisoning with him with: radioactive polonium-210, believed to have been administered in a cup of tea Alexander Litvinenko: ...
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Has the Pentagon provided evidence for their accusations against Assad's potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack?

Pentagon accuses Syria President Bashar al-Assad’s government of potentially preparing for another chemical attack: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be preparing a chemical-weapons attack ...
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Have Syrian rebels ever used chemical weapons?

There have been many questions about the Assad regime using chemical weapons against the rebels opposing him. A common rebuttal from the Syrian government and its allies is that the rebels are the ...
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Has the Syrian Government used barrel bombs with chlorine since Trump's airstrike?

A few days ago, President Trump launched an airstrike against a Syrian airbase in response to the Syrian Government launching a Saren gas attack. Today, Secretary of Defense Mattis said that further ...
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When was the last time the United States used chemical weapons?

On 4 April 2017, the Assad regime is alleged to have used chemical weapons on civilians in the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhoun, making it the most deadly such incident since the Ghouta attack in 2013. ...
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What incentive could Assad have to use chemical weapons?

For the recent chemical attack in Syria, most claim Assad did it, some claim it was an accident, and some claim it was a false flag operation. However, what realpolitical reasons could Assad have in ...
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Are the US strikes in Syria backed by international treaties against the use of chemical weapons?

The Syrian government has various treaties against the possession and use of chemical weapons. Say (as seems likely) that recent chemical attacks in Syria were undertaken by the government. Would any ...
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What evidence is there that the Assad regime was responsible for the chemical attack in April 2017?

What intelligence / information has been released so far that supports the hypothesis that the chemical attack was conducted by the Syrian government? Isn't it a very complex scenario with many rebel ...
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Why are chemical weapons such a big deal?

Trump seemed to be a big supporter of the current Syrian regime up until the recent chemical weapons attack. But why are chemical weapons such a big deal? What's the difference between killing 100 ...
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What could the United Nations do after a chemical attack in Syria?

In Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel held town, there have been reports of a chemical attack. The reports claim that it were launched by the Syrian government. According to the Chemical Weapons Convention the ...
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How did ISIS gain control of a stockpile of weapons that did not exist?

Breitbart is reporting: ISIS took over a military base in northern Iraq last month that contains Saddam Hussein’s stockpile of chemical weapons, including hundreds of warheads containing sarin and ...
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What exactly constitutes a "Weapon of Mass Destruction?"

There was a huge controversy because we didn't find stockpiles of chemical weapons after saying there were WMDs. Now we have charged in court people who use an IED at a marathon with using weapons of ...
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