Uncovering the Truth Behind Chemical Weapons in the Syrian War
Disciplines
Defense and Security Studies | International Relations | Military and Veterans Studies | Near and Middle Eastern Studies | Peace and Conflict Studies | Public Affairs | Public Policy | Terrorism Studies
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Over seven years of brutal civil war, thousands have been killed or wounded by illegal chemical weapons. Despite these weapons being banned by international treaties and agreements, the horrific death toll continues to mount. Most recently, on April 7, 2018, more than 500 people were reportedly gassed with chlorine in the rebel-held enclave of Douma near the Syrian capital of Damascus. American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley recently warned: “the great evil of chemical weapons use, that once unified the world in opposition, is on the verge of becoming the new normal.” While any use of chemical weapons is deplorable, lasting preventative measures by the international community have been paralyzed. This lethal gridlock has been partially enabled by intense disagreements over where, when, and if chemical weapons were used. As an active war zone bringing in neutral fact finders is near impossible, and often when investigators do arrive evidence has long been lost or destroyed. This project aims to remedy this problem by taking advantage of the Syrian War’s unique nature as a conflict in a social-media world. Hundreds of thousands of hours of video, millions of images, and ceaseless reporting has been produced over the last seven years. No small part of it dealing with chemical weapons use. This ongoing project gathers, preserves, and publicly presents this trove of evidence for each of the dozens of suspected chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Government and International Affairs
Uncovering the Truth Behind Chemical Weapons in the Syrian War
Over seven years of brutal civil war, thousands have been killed or wounded by illegal chemical weapons. Despite these weapons being banned by international treaties and agreements, the horrific death toll continues to mount. Most recently, on April 7, 2018, more than 500 people were reportedly gassed with chlorine in the rebel-held enclave of Douma near the Syrian capital of Damascus. American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley recently warned: “the great evil of chemical weapons use, that once unified the world in opposition, is on the verge of becoming the new normal.” While any use of chemical weapons is deplorable, lasting preventative measures by the international community have been paralyzed. This lethal gridlock has been partially enabled by intense disagreements over where, when, and if chemical weapons were used. As an active war zone bringing in neutral fact finders is near impossible, and often when investigators do arrive evidence has long been lost or destroyed. This project aims to remedy this problem by taking advantage of the Syrian War’s unique nature as a conflict in a social-media world. Hundreds of thousands of hours of video, millions of images, and ceaseless reporting has been produced over the last seven years. No small part of it dealing with chemical weapons use. This ongoing project gathers, preserves, and publicly presents this trove of evidence for each of the dozens of suspected chemical weapons attacks in Syria.