Syria 'rebuilding chemical weapons capability'

Syria: Syria is rebuilding its chemical weapons capability in a move that threatens to provoke a new round of hostilities with Israel, according to satellite images analysed by Jane's Intelligence Review.

Any suggestion that Syria is enhancing the offensive potential of its chemical munitions will be treated as an additional threat to Israel's existence. In 2007 Israel attacked a suspected Syrian nuclear research centre in the country's eastern desert.

Syria has maintained stockpiles of chemical weapons, including sarin gas and blister agents, for decades. But satellite images from two operators, GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, appeared to show significant efforts to update known facilities.

The JIR report said that structures for warehousing and manufacturing complex chemical materials had been built. The buildings had sophisticated filtration systems and cooling towers. Bays for specially adapted Scud missiles had also been built.

It has long been suspected that Syria acquired chemical weapons munitions from Iraq in the run-up to the US-led assault on the country. A JIR analysis suggested that the work on the Al Safir facility in the north west of the country had started in 2005, in the aftermath of the Iraq war, and was continuing last year.

It found that Al Safir was among the most significant chemical weapons production, storage and weaponisation sites in Syria. "Its presence indicates Syria's desire to develop unconventional weapons either to act as a deterrent to conflict with Israel or as a force enhancer should any conflict ensue," said Christian LeMiere, the review's editor. The images show that Al Safir is protected by modern surface-to-air missiles acquired from Russia and several rings of security. President Bashar Al Assad this week spoke about the prospect of normalising relations with the US.