Syria Planned Demolishing the Buildings the US Cruise Missiles Flattened

The main target of Trump’s latest Syria strike, that according to the US no fewer than 76 of the 105 total cruise missiles were fired at — was going to be demolished anyway:

“In a report issued just in March of this year, OPCW confirms the Syrian government was cooperating in the process of demolishing the facility.”

[1/4] I'm finding some odd stuff in OPCW documents pertaining to the Barzah facility, part of Syria's Scientific Studies & Research Center (SSRC).

Trump admin. officials said this facility was at the "heart" of Syrian CW program; it was included in last night's strikes.

— Will Porter (@TheWillPorter) April 15, 2018

[2/4] Yet the OPCW inspected Barzah twice in 2017–most recently last Nov–and found nothing out of the norm. In a report issued just in Mar. of this year, OPCW confirms the Syrian govt was cooperating in the process of demolishing the facility. (p.2 of https://t.co/d4o1nuSFYw)

— Will Porter (@TheWillPorter) April 15, 2018

[3/4] Of Syria's former 27 CW-related facilities, the Barzah and Jamrayah compounds were the last 2 standing (before last night). Deal in 2013 had all other declared facilities destroyed or decommissioned.

— Will Porter (@TheWillPorter) April 15, 2018

[4/4] So which is it? Was Barzah clean and set to be demolished with Syrian cooperation, or was it the heart of an ongoing rogue CW program?

— Will Porter (@TheWillPorter) April 15, 2018

Since Syria gave up its chemical weapons under a 2013 deal Barzah lost its mission. The purpose of the complex could have been changed but the OPCW preferred demolition and Damascus said okay and cooperated.

So not only was the building being inspected regularly but it was going to be torn down by the Syrians themselves shortly.

Instead the US claims it fired $150 million worth of flying bombs at it.