Reports of a supposed chlorine attack on civilians in rebel-held territory have raised questions about Bashar Assad's commitment to ridding Syria of chemical weapons, NBC News reported. Syria has pledged to dispose of its chemical weapons by the end of this week, but the recent allegations, which are being examined by the U.S. government, suggest Assad is exploiting a loophole in the agreement to disable the weapons. Because chlorine is widely used commercially, countries are not required to report its production or trade.
