France to Make Public Syria Chemical Arms Documents

France will soon declassify secret defense documents detailing Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons in defiance of international conventions, a government source said Sunday.

The comment came after the Journal du Dimanche weekly said French intelligence agents had compiled information showing that some of the weapons had been stockpiled for nearly 30 years.

The arsenal included over 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents, the paper said.

"The citations from the notes are correct," the source said. "The government plans to make public the declassified documents on the Syrian chemical arms program."

According to the Sunday newspaper, the arsenal included Sarin and mustard gas. The secret documents showed that Syrian scientists had also worked to develop a powerful agent that was far more toxic that Sarin.

The West is mulling strikes on Syria over alleged chemical weapons attacks on the Damascus suburbs last month which U.S. President Barack Obama said claimed more than 1,400 lives. Damascus denies involvement and blames the attacks on opposition fighters.