Nowhere to Hide: The Logic of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

Nowhere to Hide: The Logic of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

February 2019
By Tobias Schneider, Theresa Lütkefend
Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi)

For years, the international community has struggled to understand how and why the Assad regime, in defiance of norms and threats, has persisted in its use of banned chemical weapons against civilian populations. In this report, we draw on the most
comprehensive data-set of chemical weapons attacks in Syria compiled to date to illustrate the sheer scale of the problem – at least 336 confirmed attacks – and offer evidence-based analysis of the tactical and operational logic underpinning the use of chemical weapons as part of the Syrian regime’s wider strategy of punitive counterinsurgency. Once we appreciate the full strategic rationale and impact of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war, we are able to assess their true impact on humanitarian or strategic interests, and to develop more effective policy responses.

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The researchers above examine and draw conclusions from 336 confirmed cases of chemical weapons use in Syria by the Bashar Assad regime and others (with Endnotes incl. online citations).

Related: More Than 300 Chemical Attacks Launched During Syrian Civil War, Study Says

Tobias Schneider is an independent International Security Analyst specializing in the political economy of violence in the Levant. He has worked as a consultant for think tanks, governments, multilateral institutions, as well as private clients. His research on the Syrian Civil War in particular has been published and cited across international media. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle East Studies from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s in Strategic Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Theresa Lütkefend is a research assistant at the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin, where she contributes to the institute’s work on peace and security and helps run the PeaceLab Blog. Theresa holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Humboldt-University in Berlin. After her undergraduate studies, Theresa worked for six months at the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs in New York, working on the relations between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. For her studies in Berlin, and as a fellow with the Carlo Schmid Program, Theresa received scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German National Academic Foundation. Languages: English, German, French, Russian.