The Compound Syria Supposedly Used as Chemical Warfare

There are a number of different gasses that have been used in chemical warfare, but the most likely culprit in the case of the recent Syrian civil war conflict is Sarin. Sarin is a potent nerve agent (a phosphorus containing molecule that inhibits nerves from communicating to organs), and is fairly easy to synthesize as it only requires two reactants, one of which is isopropyl alcohol, and the other methylphosphonyl difluoride.  These reactants are combined when the nerve gas is released since this molecule is unstable in the P-F bond. The toxicity of this compound reaches about 500 times that of cyanide. The molecule was originally synthesized in 1938 by a German company in sight to produce an insecticide, but proved to be more useful in chemical warfare after the German army began testing in 1939.

What makes the use of chemical warfare, subject to such serious allegations? They are weapons of mass destruction that are cheaper, less destructive on the environment, and selective on anyone without a gas mask. So a regime, such as the Syrian army, can use it to eliminate it's citizens, while their army wears protective gas masks. And, as a nuclear blast would demolish a city, a chemical bomb leaves the buildings intact, but with a high death toll. These weapons aren't used to fight a war, but to exterminate an entire population within the desired vicinity. This is why chemical warfare has been banned.