ARE THE IMPROVISED CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS EFFICIENT AS MEDIA CLAIMS THEY ARE? CASE STUDY: THE SYRIAN WAR

Abstract

It is reported by various media sources that, since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, more than 11.5% of Syria’s population has been wounded or killed. The scarcity of war resources forced the belligerents of the Syrian civil war to use many improvised weapons among which the chemical barrel bombs hold the headlines. Although the exact number of casualties produced by chemical weapons in Syria is unknown, reportedly a few thousand were killed or intoxicated. This article seeks to determine the efficiency of improvised chemical weapons used in Syria and compare them with the specially designed ones. For comparison, the military standards are to be used and the conclusion will show if the media is exaggerating or the humanity faces a new type of chemical warfare.