by Zack Beauchamp
Leonard Spector worries about the deadly weapons' use in the event of a Syrian civil war:
If anti-Assad insurgents take up arms, the chemical sites, as symbols of regime's authority, could become strategic targets. And, if mass defections occur from the Syrian army, there may be no one left to defend the sites against seizure. This could lead to disastrous outcomes — including confiscation of the chemical weapons by a radical new national government, or sale of the weapons as war booty to organized non-state actors or criminal groups. In such chaos, no one can predict who might control the weapons or where they might be taken. With these chemical weapons in the hands of those engaged in a possible civil war, the risks that they would be used would increase substantially.
Terrifying. Luckily, Erica Chenoweth sees signs that the opposition plans to stay peaceful. Whether or not that's enough to restrain Assad isn't clear, as Spector notes. That Syrian protestors face the prospect of chemical chemcial on top of the bombs and guns already being used for mass murder makes one appreciate their tremendous bravery all the more.
The Dish 