A chemical lab raises alarm in Damascus
In the Jaramana suburb of Damascus, whispers of a mysterious government compound had long circulated among residents. The heavily fortified facility, inaccessible to anyone except regime forces, was shrouded in secrecy. When Islamist rebels removed Bashar al-Assad from power in December, locals wasted no time rushing to see what lay behind its walls. What they discovered painted a chilling picture of Syria’s hidden operations—a suspected chemical laboratory filled with toxic substances capable of producing illicit drugs or chemical weapons, alongside what appeared to be an explosives workshop. The discovery comes amid longstanding accusations against the Assad regime for producing chemical weapons and engaging in illegal drug trafficking. While Assad had claimed in the past to have dismant...