Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Syria, despite a clean bill of health from the international community, still possesses weapons of mass destruction, a report said.

The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies asserted that the regime of President Bashar Assad still retained chemical and biological weapons facilities.

In a report, author Dany Shoham said the regime has avoided international inspections of CW facilities amid the Sunni revolt in Syria.

“Although Assad may have relinquished the majority of his chemical weapons stockpile, the regime most probably possesses additional ‘undeclared’ chemical and biological weapon facilities, creating a complex situation with consequences that cannot be ignored,” the report, titled “Has Syria’s Chemical Weapons Arsenal Truly Been Dismantled?” said.

Shoham, a reserve intelligence officer and leading Israeli analyst on
WMD, said Syria has not cooperated with international inspectors in the
disposal of CW. He expressed doubt over how much of Syria’s WMD capacity was transferred or destroyed by the June 30 deadline. In September 2013, Assad declared 23 CW sites as well as 1,300 tons of chemical precursors and agents.

“It is not clear whether since September 2013 production of CW was
entirely stopped throughout Syria,” the report said. “Additionally, reports
by the Syrian opposition claiming hidden CW — mainly VX agent-loaded — in
the area of Hama cannot be ignored. The opposition’s claim that at least 20
percent of the Syrian CW arsenal was not declared might be true.”

The report said Assad did not declare BW agents. Shoham, who called for
an international takeover of WMD facilities, said such agents were “probably
present in the Syrian arsenal.”

“Besides, it is highly likely that Syria also continues to maintain
certain pathogens as deployable biological warfare agents,” the report said.

The report said Assad’s allies, particularly Iran and Russia, would not
stop Syria from concealing CW assets. He said the international community
has halted inspections to verify Assad’s claims of the destruction of the
sites.

“Assad is reluctant to give up the remaining declared CW production
facilities, and probably additional undeclared chemical armament,” the
report said. “For now, the job done by the inspectors is notable, but is far
from complete.”

  Bashar Assad, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Report: Despite clearing inspection process, Syria still has WMD