Belgian firms face prosecution for selling Assad 'nerve gas precursor'

[TomSea]

Belgian firms face prosecution for selling Assad 'nerve gas precursor'
Belgian customs bring case against the firms involved in transport of chemicals to Syrian government

Three Belgian companies are facing prosecution for allegedly exporting a chemical that can be used to make the deadly nerve agent sarin to Syria, in breach of international sanctions, officials said Wednesday.

Belgian customs agents have brought a case against the firms - a chemicals company, a transporter and an intermediary - who are suspected of exporting isopropanol to Syria and Lebanon without declaring it, a spokeswoman for the finance ministry told AFP.

Isopropanol is subject to strict export controls when it is concentrated to 95 percent or more because it can be used to make chemical weapons, including sarin - which the United Nations and the West say the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has used on its own people.

Read more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/belgian-companies-face-prosecution-selling-assad-nerve-gas-1134989175

[thackney]

...Isopropanol is subject to strict export controls when it is concentrated to 95 percent or more because it can be used to make chemical weapons...

Isospropanol (also called Isopropyl alcohol, see: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/isopropanol#section=Top) can be bought at 99% concentration on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Isopropyl-Alcohol-IPA-99-5-Gallon/dp/B009MH2VLI