On 12 March 2018, the Syrian Arab Army (the Syrian government’s forces) seized a secret laboratory of chemical weapons based at Aftris (Eastern Ghouta) and a second on 13 March, at Chifonya (also in Eastern Ghouta).

Russia has declared Eastern Ghouta a zone of de-escalation, but there was absolutely no agreement on how to differentiate foreign jihadists from the so-called “moderate Syrian rebels”.

Finally, the UN Security Council invited all parties to respect 30 days of cessation of hostilities while the Syrian, Russian and Iranian armies continued with their anti-terrorist operations.

The terrorist bombings on the Syrian capital have never stopped, despite the call for cessation of hostilities. Since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2401, an average of 35 projectiles has fallen every day on Damascus, resulting in a number of fatalities and injuries among the civil population.

In 2012, the Syrian Arab Republic denounced the various chemical attacks carried out by the jihadists and had called for help from the UN. In December 2012, a video published by “moderate rebels” of the “Free Syrian Army” showed one of their laboratories of chemical weapons [1]. In the video, the “moderate rebels” guaranteed that all the Alawites would be gassed. Voltaire Network published this video (photo), on our You Tube account, but the multinational withdrew the video. Following this, the Turkish police intercepted and seized on Turkish soil some chemical weapons that the jihadists had been getting ready to bring into Syria. The police officers that carried out this operation were imprisoned on 13 March for plotting against the Turkish state.

Be that as it may, very soon afterwards, Western powers started accusing Damascus of using chemical weapons itself in 2013. Syria then signed the Convention prohibiting these weapons whilst Russia and the United States came to supervise the collection and destruction of the entire arsenal. Despite this, these accusations are still made today.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa

[1FSA showcases its chemical weapons lab”, Voltaire Network, 8 December 2012.