Civil Defense personnel remove the remains of a rocket reportedly fired by regime forces, Feb. 1, 2018, on the outskirts of the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region. (Credit: Hamza al-Ajweh/AFP)
As the Syrian regime crumbled under a rapid offensive by rebel forces, officials in the West and neighboring countries expressed growing concern about the fate of Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons stockpile.On Monday, sources speaking to American media outlet Axios revealed that the United States, along with several Middle Eastern nations, were actively working to prevent these weapons from falling into the wrong hands.At the same time, many countries have classified Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the group responsible for the offensive — as a terrorist organization.Aware of international concerns and eager to bolster its legitimacy, HTS released a statement Saturday addressing “chemical products in Syria,” in which the group claimed to be “fully ready to cooperate with the international community to monitor weapons and sensitive sites.”...
As the Syrian regime crumbled under a rapid offensive by rebel forces, officials in the West and neighboring countries expressed growing concern about the fate of Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons stockpile.On Monday, sources speaking to American media outlet Axios revealed that the United States, along with several Middle Eastern nations, were actively working to prevent these weapons from falling into the wrong hands.At the same time, many countries have classified Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the group responsible for the offensive — as a terrorist organization.Aware of international concerns and eager to bolster its legitimacy, HTS released a statement Saturday addressing “chemical products in Syria,” in which the group claimed to be “fully ready to cooperate with the international community to monitor weapons and...