The Syrian 2017 Chemcial Attacks and its Implications for the Rest of the World

With regard to the Syrian chemical attacks, we must take into consideration the fact behind the attack before any outside country or organization can impose penalties on Syria. This is where the UN must come in to mediate the issue between Russia, Syria, and the US and its allies. It is essential that all these countries work together to find out what chemicals were used, and where these attacks were launched from. There have been incidents on both sides of the conflict accusing the other of hampering with investigations. In April of 2017, Russian foreign minister accused the west of blocking investigations by the OPCW, and while there is still no conclusive evidence that Syrians launched the attack, evidence from western governments, such as the French allegation the the weapons used contained nerve gas, and the pictures that have come out on mainstream and social media continue to prove otherwise.

In terms of what the US, and the EU should do comes down to a question of realpolitik. A comparison of the Iraq Halabja chemical attack, where Western countries refused to get involved in because it would hurt their interests, proves that the US is only deeply invested in condemning the Syrian government because of their opposition to a regime that answers to Moscow. There might also be political reasons behind the US’s approach to bombing Syrian airfields because of the new Trump administration. After the Tomahawk missile launches, Trump's approval rating jumped from 35 to 40 percent, a much needed boost after his initial weeks in the White House and his lackluster approval rating after his inauguration. This ties into to his promises to involve the US deeper into Middle Eastern conflicts and reinforce his hawkish approach towards the region to protect US interests.

The global community, including the US, and EU, must respond to the chemical attacks in an efficient, but realistic approach. If, after an investigation, Syria is indeed at fault for massacring Syrians with chemical weapons, then they must first destroy these weapons so that they cannot be used again. This requires Russian and American cooperation in putting pressure on the Assad regime. This however would only be a short term solution, to maintain peace in Syria if they had used these weapons. If Assad’s regime was responsible for the attack, then the global community needs to pressure the government of Syria and rebels to find a peace deal that would oust Assad and create free elections. After this Assad and other conspirators of the attack should be judged by the ICC where they would be guaranteed a fair trial.