Kelly Murray’s Post

Take a look at this informative report on the rise of chemical weapons use and disinformation in the Middle East, linked to the international community's failure to address past violations of prohibitions on their use.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons hundreds of times throughout the Syrian conflict. In a new brief for the CSIS Middle East Program, Natasha Hall discusses the growing risks of chemical weapons proliferation in the Middle East and beyond after Syria. In her new piece, Natasha argues that: 👉 The international community's failure to impose costs on Assad for using chemical weapons has increased the risk of chemical weapons development and usage by other authoritarian leaders. 👉 Increasing multipolarity will limit the international community's ability to impose accountability measures on U.S. allies and adversaries alike. 👉 Chemical weapons users can skirt international accountability by hampering evidence collection, spreading disinformation, and using toxic industrial chemicals and riot control agents. Read the full brief to find out what the United States can do to counter this emerging trend: https://lnkd.in/e2f7X_fP

A no fly zone to implement the ICJ order! The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has just ordered Israel to hault its military operation in Rafah. What next? United Nations Security council: US will definitely veto. Do what? I believe that States shall resort to the United Nations General Assembly to implement the ICJ order by adopting a resolution to authorize a no fly zone over Rafah to protect the civilians. Does the General Assembly have the legal power to do that? Yes, it has. Please see my previous article The Implied Powers Doctrine in the Fight against Chemical Weapons in Syria: Any Useful Purpose? (Disappointingly it’s not open access, but in that paper I argue that the General Assembly has the implied power to do that, in light of the nature of authorization resolution as distinguished from decisions. ) Can the General Assembly do that? It depends on the extent to which States are willing to uphold and save the international rule of law. منطقة حظر جوي لتنفيذ قرار محكمة العدل الدولية! أمرت للتو محكمة العدل الدولية إسرائيل بوقف عملياتها العسكرية في رفح. ماذا بعد؟ اللجوء إلي مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة؟ الولايات المتحدة ستستخدم حق النقض بالتأكيد. ما الذي يتعين عمله ؟يتعين علي الدول أن تلجأ إلى الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة لتنفيذ أمر محكمة العدل الدولية باعتماد قرار يأذن بمنطقة حظر حوي فوق رفح لحماية المدنيين. هل للجمعية العامة السلطة القانونية للقيام بذلك ؟ نعم لديها، وهو الأمر الذي وضحته في مقالي السابق "The Implied Powers Doctrine in the Fight against Chemical Weapons in Syria: Any Useful purpose? هل تستطيع الجمعية العامة أن تفعل ذلك ؟ الأمر يتوقف على مدى استعداد الدول للتمسك بسيادة القانون الدولي. #gaza #humanity #icj #un #noflyzone #generalassembly #securitycouncil #veto

Establishment of Global Chemical Weapons Tribunal. In a monumental move towards global accountability, a coalition of human rights groups, legal experts, and advocates has officially launched the Exceptional Chemical Weapons Tribunal in The Hague. As world-leading providers of software solutions, protecting against Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) theats, Bruhn NewTech aligns itself with the overarching mission of the tribunal, which will consequentially support our purpose of increasing the number of people, protected from airborne threats. One human life at a time. Read the full article through the link below. #CBRN #CBRNe #Security 

The 29th Session of the Conference of States Parties of the OPCW takes place next week as the norm against chemical weapons use has come under increasing strain. In a new commentary, Natasha Hall and Doreen Horschig, PhD argue that the upcoming conference provides a unique opportunity to revitalize the chemical weapons norm and strengthen the integrity of the OPCW. They go on to discuss: 🔸 How Assad's impunity for chemical weapons usage has undermined arms control cooperation. 🔹 Why more regimes are pursuing chemical weapons capabilities. 🔸 How renewed cooperation with China on chemical weapons could reinvigorate a multilateral pathway for CW control. Read the full commentary to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eb86Qwiu

#StatecraftInTheNews: The US has accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban, deploying chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops. This move, along with the use of riot control agents as warfare tactics, raises serious concerns about Russia's conduct in Ukraine. Chloropicrin, a banned choking agent, was used by Russian forces against Ukrainian troops, breaching the Chemical Weapons Convention. The State Department condemned the action and highlighted the danger it poses to soldiers in fortified positions. The use of riot control agents by Russia in Ukraine, including CS and CN gases, further exacerbates the situation. Ukrainian soldiers have suffered exposure to toxic substances, with one fatality reported due to suffocation from tear gas. The State Department links Russia's use of chloropicrin in Ukraine to its past actions, including the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the Skripals with the Novichok nerve agent. These tactics align with Russia's playbook of chemical warfare. Sanctions are imposed on Russian state entities and companies involved in chemical and biological weapons programs, as well as individuals purchasing items for these programs. The US condemns Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and takes measures to hold it accountable. The Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the production and use of chemical weapons, yet Russia's actions in Ukraine violate this treaty. The State Department's determination will be conveyed to the OPCW, emphasizing the urgency of addressing Russia's violations.

Today marks more than 100 years that have passed since the Battle of Ypres and the first use of chemical warfare. It also marks the first day of the 25th Meeting of the CBRNE Sensing Conference at SPIE Defense and Security Symposium. Come hear how US, allies, and NATO partners continue to make developments towards next generation sensing that supports early warning, contamination avoidance, decontamination, medical surveillance and battlefield forensics of CBRNE threats. #SPIE, #DCS, #CBRNE

#OnThisDay in 1925 the Geneva Protocol was signed, banning the use of chemical and biological weapons in war. This historic agreement paved the way for the world's most successful disarmament treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention. ➡️ Learn more about the history of the CWC: opcw.org/about-us/history

Emerging Trends in Chemical Weapons Usage in the Middle East Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons has emboldened other states to pursue similar strategies. In a new brief, Natasha Hall assesses the risks of chemical weapons proliferation and usage after the Syrian conflict. Report by Natasha Hall — October 16, 2024 The international community’s failure to deter or punish Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons risks incentivizing the use of chemical weapons by others. Assad’s use of chemical weapons has highlighted their military effectiveness and undermined the norms prohibiting their use. Increasing multipolarity has made international accountability more challenging. Actors are likely to challenge existing norms by gradually escalating their chemical weapons use from riot-control agents to toxic industrial chemicals or pharmaceutical-based agents while spreading disinformation and impeding evidence collection. The United States should strengthen detection and accountability mechanisms to deter future chemical weapons usage. It should work with allies and partners to prioritize the early detection and prevention of chemical weapons development, develop backchannels to establish deterrence, and define clear red lines against chemical weapons usage.

U.S. Department of State has released the 2024 Condition (10)(C) Annual Report on Compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). As in previous years, Burma, China, Iran, Russia and Syria are listed as violating the CWC in some way. Newest violation is Russia's use of riot control agents as a method of warfare in Ukraine--a violation of Article 1, paragraph 5. Also notable that the US believes China, Iran and Russia are all developing pharmaceutical-based agents (PBAs) for offensive use--and all three nations voted against an OPCW resolution that prohibited the use of aerosolized CNS-acting chemical for law enforcement purposes. You can check out the report here https://lnkd.in/eEwPFEc9