U.S. Says Syria’s Chemical Arsenal Has Been Fully Destroyed

The New York Times reports that nearly one year after they are thought to have carried out a chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, the Syrian regime’s chemical arsenal has been fully destroyed.

President Obama said on Monday that “the destruction of the weapons, several weeks ahead of schedule, ‘advances our collective goal to ensure that the Assad regime cannot use its chemical arsenal against the Syrian people and sends a clear message that the use of these abhorrent weapons has consequences and will not be tolerated by the international community.’

“The destruction of Mr. Assad’s 1,300-ton stockpile of chemical agents was a complicated process. Amid the continuing Syrian civil war, the United States and allies transferred them to the Cape Ray, an American military ship where nearly half were destroyed.”

U.S. Bans All Flights Over Syria

The Guardian reports that the Federal Aviation Agency has banned all commercial flights over Syrian airspace, as fears rise that rebel groups and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) could have anti-aircraft missiles. The move comes the month after Ukrainian rebels allegedly shot down a Malaysian Airlines jet near Donetsk.

“The agency said armed extremists in Syria were ‘known to be equipped with a variety of anti-aircraft weapons that have the capability to threaten civilian aircraft.’ The agency had previously warned against flights over Syria but had not prohibited them,” the paper writes.

“Most American and other commercial airlines already have halted flights over and into Syria during the past three years of conflict between the Assad government and insurgents. Citing the threat of missile strikes, the FAA warned American carriers in May 2013 to avoid Syrian airspace, and on Monday this was stepped up to a total ban.”

Lebanese Army Asks U.S. for Military Aid to Fight ISIS

The Daily Star reports that the Lebanese army has asked the U.S. for military aid in fighting ISIS, which earlier this month launched an attack, beaten back after five days, on the army in the strategic northern town of Arsal. The requested aid includes new fixed-wing airplanes to use as close air support while battling the extremists in Lebanon’s northern mountains.

It also includes “replenishing the army’s ammunition, a lot of which was expended in the five-day clashes earlier this month with fighters claiming allegiance to ISIS and the Nusra Front for control over the embattled town on the border with Syria,” the Star reports, as well as upgrading the existing fleet of planes.

It adds that money for the aircraft will likely come from the $1 billion Saudi grant entrusted to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The ammunition is likely to arrive in the coming weeks, but the airplanes will take longer.

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team

Reuters: Syrian Forces Hit Islamic State in Raqqa, Destroying Water Plant

AP: New Report Warns of Anti-Aircraft Weapons in Syria

BBC: Syria: Living with the Mental Scars of Torture

Telegraph: Inside the Syrian Training Camp where Kurdish Forces are Preparing Yazidis for Battle Against IS