Chasing Chemical Weapons: War and Chemistry

This chapter analyzes the development of international norms regulating chemical weapons and the function of humanitarian networks that verify the practical deployment of chemical weapons. International law prohibited the use of chemical weapons in war at an early stage, yet they have been used in practice repeatedly in armed conflicts after World War II. The Iran-Iraq War is a representative example, and the humanitarian network investigating chemical weapons rapidly developed due to this war. The conclusion of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the establishment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were pivotal events in the evolution of the DAC. However, in the Syrian conflict, various political conflicts arose over data related to chemical weapons. Even networks of experts, including the OPCW, were involved in this political struggle. This chapter also examines the role that Bellingcat played in the struggle over data, in addition to the activities of the OPCW.