Syria’s post-Assad gov't faces a defining test of accountability over chemical weapons - analysis

Statements issued over the past week by Syrian officials, together with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), reflect a shift toward cooperation with international investigators and renewed efforts to hold those responsible accountable. The international community supports Syria in this endeavor.

The developments come as Syria continues its broader effort to rebuild relations with Western countries following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. They also represent one of the clearest examples of the new authorities in Damascus seeking to distinguish themselves from the previous government that ruled Syria for more than five decades.

"Tomorrow, the Syrian Arab Republic begins a new phase in addressing the burden of these weapons, as we have initiated the necessary technical and operational measures to eliminate them in cooperation with international partners," Shaibani wrote.

He added that the work would proceed along with efforts to identify those responsible for the attacks. This will mean efforts to prosecute the perpetrators, and hold them accountable. Why does this matter? The announcement coincided with the anniversary of one of the worst, most horrid, days of the Syrian civil war.

On August 21, 2013, rockets carrying a chemical sarin nerve agent struck areas of Eastern and Western Ghouta outside Damascus. This was an area held by the Syrian rebels. More than 1,400 civilians were killed, according to reports. Thousands more suffered poisoning and other affects.

The Ghouta attack became a key moment in the Syrian conflict. Images of families dying in their homes, children gasping for air, and overwhelmed hospitals circulated around the world. The attack showed the regime would use chemical weapons. It also gave the world a chance to stop the regime. However, the US, UK, and others held back from airstrikes. Hundreds of thousands more people would be killed in the war.

The Assad regime denied responsibility, feeding conspiracy theories.

The Assad family's rule, at the time, stretched back more than half a century. Hafez al-Assad seized power in 1970 and built an authoritarian state dominated by the Baath Party and the security services. After his death in 2000, his son Bashar inherited the presidency, promising reform but instead preserving much of the existing political system.

As the conflict intensified, allegations of chemical weapons use became increasingly frequent.

According to a statement published by SANA, more than 200 chemical weapons attacks occurred between late 2012 and the fall of the Assad regime, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people.

International investigations by the OPCW and the United Nations attributed attacks to the Assad government, including the sarin attack on Khan Shaykhun in 2017 and chlorine attacks in other parts of Syria. The United States and Britain eventually  responded with missile strikes targeting facilities linked to Syria's chemical weapons program.

OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dallafior said this week that recent discoveries of previously undeclared chemical munitions demonstrate both the scale of the remaining work and the importance of continued cooperation. According to SANA, Dallafior said discussions with Syria's ambassador to the OPCW had focused on the next steps, adding that recent progress showed "what can be achieved through serious cooperation."

She also emphasized that the OPCW remains committed to ensuring that chemical weapons never again inflict such suffering. The new Syrian government appears eager to demonstrate that cooperation.

SANA reported that Syria has restored full cooperation with the OPCW following the fall of the Assad government and is now pursuing technical measures to eliminate the remaining elements of the former chemical weapons program.

Damascus says accountability will remain a central priority. Interior Minister Anas Khattab stated that authorities have already arrested several individuals connected to the chemical attacks while continuing efforts to locate additional suspects. "No criminal will escape punishment, regardless of how much time passes," Khattab said, according to SANA.

The emphasis on accountability extends beyond Syria. Syria is a symbol of how a country can do the right thing. France has become one of Damascus's principal partners in documenting crimes committed during the civil war. The joint Syrian-French statement commemorating the Ghouta anniversary reaffirmed both countries' commitment to combatting chemical weapons' use, the reports said.

For Syria's new leadership, confronting the chemical weapons legacy serves several purposes. It helps rebuild international credibility, for one.

Justice matters because chemical weapons are not simply another type of weapon. Since World War I, the international community has regarded them as uniquely bad because they deliberately inflict indiscriminate suffering on civilians. acceptable under any circumstances.

Holding those responsible accountable is therefore about more than Syria's past. It reinforces an international norm that has existed for decades. For Syria, accountability offers victims and survivors the possibility of justice after years of impunity.

For the region it is a test of whether one of the world's norms, the prohibition on chemical weapons, can ultimately be enforced. In a changing world order, this matters.