Syria acquire

The First World War saw the break-up of empires including the Ottoman Empire whose capital Constantinople became Istanbul. Out of the remnants of that empire a series of artificial states were created which arbitrarily divided up and threw together various peoples. Under League of Nations mandates, France acquired Syria and Lebanon and Britain procured Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. 

According to the British government, there were in 1988 about 20 countries which possessed or were seeking to acquire chemical weapons.The United States and Soviet Union admit to having chemical weapons. Other states referred to as likely possessors included Iraq, France, Egypt, China, Syria, Libya, North and South Korea, Vietnam, Israel and South Africa. ... 

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