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Zach Hedgepeth

Mr. Phillips

English III

08 May 2017

Syrian Chemical Attacks

Gasping, choking, struggling to breathe, and death these are some of the horrors that

chemical weapons cause to not only combatants but also to civilian populations. The chemicals

used are undetectable by humans making them extremely treacherous and a twisted weapon to

use on human populations. This is the case in Syria where a chemical attack has recently taken

place. There are many international laws in place that prevent the use of chemical weapons

because of their cruel nature and using one is considered a war crime. This is one of the many

gas attacks that have happened in Syria over the past couple of years, and one thing is certain

they need to stop. Not only are these weapons causing massive amounts of human suffering, the

use of them are threatening the integrity of international laws. Countries need to intervene in

order to stop the mass amount of misery occurring in Syria, and to paint the picture for countries

who would dare to use chemical weapons, that such cruel warfare will not be tolerated now or

ever.

The amount of human suffering that these weapons have caused in Syria is horrific and

unjustifiable. After the attack people rushed out into the street to see what had happened, and

some probably wish they didn't go outside. Anne Bernard, a writer at the New York Times,

described the scene saying, Dozens of people, including children, died- some writhing, choking,

gasping, or foaming at the mouth. Seeing this would imprint an image in anybodys head that

would never be forgotten and this just shows how inhumane chemical weapons truly are to any
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life because of its effect on living things. A terrible example of the tragedy of this event

happened to Mr. Alyousef and his family. Mr. Alyousef lost 22 members of his family

(Rannard). Among those 22 were his wife and 9 month old twins. This bomb has the potential

to be a device of genocide, and this case there was a genocide of this mans family. Mr. Alyousef

family is an example of the cruelty of these weapons and the amount of suffering chemical

weapons can cause. Do the people who dropped these bombs think they can play God and toy

with human life? As of now the death toll is at least 72 people and out of that 20 children are

dead (Masri). The lives of the people who survived this attack will be forever changed. The

psychological effect of having family and friends die must be great for these people who are just

trying to live normal lives. People are dead, entire families destroyed. Is it okay to watch this

horror unfold and possibly repeat itself again? Not only did this abhorrent attack traumatize

and kill Syrians, international laws were violated.

With the use of chemical weapons a international law has been violated known as the

Geneva Protocol. This international law prohibits the use of chemical weapons due to their

heinous effects and how chemical weapons area of effect can be unpredictable. Since the use of

chemical weapons violates this international law this act of terror is considered a war crime, and

war crimes always come with consequences and investigation. This whole incident has sparked

international outrage from many countries. Heads of many countries spoke out against the attack

and it's horrendous effect on innocent people since this has been the deadliest attack in Syria

(Veselinovic). The current president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated Todays

chemical attack in Syria against innocent people, including women and children, is reprehensible

and cannot be ignored by the civilized world. The support from all of these nations can be seen

as a positive in this situation because it will lead to an international investigations on who was
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culpable for this offensive. The foreign minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, has called for an

immediate investigation right after the attack into this incursion saying, It is important that the

UN and the experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

gain immediate access and can carry out their investigation without hindrance.

Currently all clues point to Assad, the current leader of Syria, and his regime being responsible

for this attack. Assad's regime wholeheartedly denies the use of chemical weapons, claiming

other extremists carried out these actions (McKirdy). This declaration just doesn't add up when

scrutinised and compared to current evidence. Jean-Marc Ayrault stated that ...the Sarin that

was sampled is typical of the method developed in Syrian laboratories. This statement, by Mr.

Ayrault, affirms the fact that the Syrian government played a role in the attack, and also a high

probability that Assad is lying about the attack. Assad blames terrorists, but the near completed

puzzle points to him. What has made this situation volatile and intriguing is Russia's avid

support of Assad and his government. Even with the international outrage and all of clues that

point to Assad , Russia stands stubborn as a mule. The reason Russia's presence complicates

things is because Russia is a powerful nation that many countries fear. Has Syria's alliance with

Russia provided Assad the confidence to lie about these serious matter and hope to get away with

it? Assad must realize that he cannot hide the truth from the world and that his actions carry

consequences. This may be just a part of a civil war, but it has become bigger than that, and it

carries more weight than most people wish to acknowledge.

With all of the suffering and international laws being broken some may still question

whether or not it's worth it to worry about. Some people might say if this is all a part of a civil

war why should we care? This civil war has caught the attention of the world . The suffering of

mass amounts of people and the violation of international laws is reason enough to step in.
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Countries can not sit idly by and watch this happen, and watch as this aggressor goes

unpunished. This is like the case of an average school bully. If a bully is allowed harass fellow

peers and get away with it he will do it again. If Syria used these chemical weapons and nothing

happens, what will stop them from striking again? What will stop other countries or even

terrorist groups from using these weapons? If countries and groups think the international law is

weak and easy to violate without repercussions, then it will not be obeyed. People who use

chemical weapons need to be shown that the use of them and the mass amount of suffering they

cause will not be tolerated now or ever. If countries are made to respect the law then it will be

followed and possibly supported by countries and other groups in the world. The world needs to

know that the chemical attack will not go unnoticed and unpunished. Some people might ask

what makes chemical weapons so terrible compared to other conventional weapons like

explosives or guns? Chemical weapons are extremely hard to detect and it is impossible to know

how far it will spread around in a certain location. The gas used in the bombardment was Sarin

an extremely deadly nerve agent that has a miniscule lethal dosage for people. What makes this

so terrifying is that humans can't detect it in the air because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

Sarin can be breathed in but it can also enter into your body through the eyes, through the skin,

and it mixes easy with drinking water. Sarin gas is considered one of the most deadly nerve

agents, because it can go from a liquid to a vapor in a extremely short amount of time (CDC).

Chemical weapons are silent and deadly killers and by the time it is realized that a chemical

attack has occurred many people are already dead. The way the chemical substance in these

weapons extinguishes life is a very horrific one. Exposure to Sarin has a plethora of symptoms

and some of the severe ones include respiratory failure, paralysis, and death.
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A choice needs to be made by nations around the world. Will they allow chemical

weapons to be used without punishment and not support the international law? Or will the right

decision be made? The decision to crack down on these heinous weapons and to stop their usage

around the world, because it is the humane and right thing to do. The Geneva Protocol should be

rewritten in order to refine its authority and show that attacks, like this in Syria, will not be

accepted. Assad should be punished for this brutal crime to set an example for the world to see

that there are big consequences for war crimes. Diplomatic negotiations with Russia should start

to help them see the situation for what it is and possibly with enough evidence they could be

swayed to the right side. A future without chemical weapons is a future where Syrians and

people around the globe don't have to live in fear and human suffering on this scale can

hopefully be a thing of the past.

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Works Cited

Ayrault, Jean-Marc. "France Says Deadly Chemical Attack Bears Assad Regime "signature"."

CBS News. CBS Interactive, 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 May 2017.

Barnard, Anne. "The Grim Logic Behind Syrias Chemical Weapons Attack." The New York

Times. The New York Times, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 May 2017.

"Facts About Sarin." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 May 2017.

Gabriel, Sigmar, and Deutsche Welle. "German Foreign Minister Calls for Immediate Probe into

Syria Gas Attack | News | DW.COM | 09.04.2017." DW.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May

2017.

Khadder, Kareem. "Suspected Gas Attack in Syria Reportedly Kills Dozens." CNN. Cable News

Network, 07 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 May 2017.

Marcus, Jonathan. "Syria 'chemical Attack': What Now?" BBC News. BBC, 05 Apr. 2017. Web.

08 May 2017.

McKirdy, Euan, Holly Yan, and Angela Dewan. "Survivors of Syrian Attack Describe Chemical

Bombs Falling from Sky." CNN. Cable News Network, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 May 2017.

Rannard, Georgina. "Syria Chemical 'attack': Father Grieves for Nine-month-old Twins."BBC

News. BBC, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 May 2017.

Rasoul, Mohammed. "Syria Chemical 'attack': What We Know." BBC News. BBC, 26 Apr. 2017.

Web. 08 May 2017.