Should we be afraid of Syrian chemical weapons?

The history of Syrian chemical weapons begins to raise the worst fears.The fall of the regime announced al-Assad could put in the hands of Hezbollah or other armed groups an arsenal of unknown yet all the devastation. As the probable end of the Syrian regime can lead the country into a civil war , in the absence of political leadership in the revolt in progress.

Syria threatens

It all started last Monday when Syria has recognized, for the first time, be in possession of chemical weapons and threatened to use them in case of"external aggression" . "No chemical or biological weapons will never be used as part of the crisis in Syria, regardless of changing circumstances. These weapons are stored and secured under the direct supervision of the armed forces and will only be used if Syria is facing external aggression " , said the spokesman of Foreign Ministry, Jihad Makdissi, at a conference of release.

This was a thinly veiled threat of a regime at bay. The context was the Russian-Chinese veto. The United States struggled to find another framework that the UN can act on the situation in Syria.

What is it exactly?

Historically, Syria has not signed the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CWC) but supports the fight against weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

For Syria, it is not about to give up chemical weapons unless Israel, its neighbor enemy, remains a potential threat to its security. The volume of Syrian chemical weapons is not precisely known. "The material is introduced into warheads, which can be either ballistic missiles as artillery shells standards. Weapons can be as small as mortar shells. Part of chemical weapons is already in the form of warhead, ready to be launched " , said David Friedman, an expert on WMD at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.

Unanimous condemnations

The reactions of condemnation have been quick to fuser. The warnings also. For U.S. President Barack Obama, the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime would be "a tragic mistake ' . "Unacceptable  ! "Said on France 2, the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius. But it is the insurance that followed shortly after. As if one could believe the Syrian regime capable of reason and restraint. This is the same Fabius, who swore that the Syrian chemical weapons were carefully monitored by the international community. Same reassuring tone on Israel's side. Amos Gilad, a senior Defense Ministry, the Syrian regime controlled "totally" his arsenal of chemical weapons. As if one could trust Bashar al-Assad.

Fears of the Syrian army free

It only remains free Syrian Army (SLA) to sound the alarm. The rebels have accused the Syrian regime of Syrian chemical weapons have been transferred to airports at the border. "We in the Joint Command of the Syrian Army free (ASL) know perfectly inside the location of these weapons and their position and we reveal that Assad has transferred some of these weapons and equipment of chemical mixture components to airports on the border " , said Tuesday the ASL in a statement.

Scaremongering or hoax? We can not answer with certainty. But in the Syrian equation, the fall of the Syrian regime may cause considerable damage in the region and moved into the modus operandi of terrorist groups. If chemical weapons falling into the hands of jihadi groups, the consequences will be tragic.