Syria rid of over half of chemical arms: OPCW
Iran Press TV
Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:12AM GMT
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that over half of Syria's chemical arms arsenal has been either destroyed or shipped out of the country.
The OPCW said in a report to the United Nations on Thursday that the total percentage of chemicals either removed or already destroyed inside Syria stands at 53.6 percent.
The OPCW further stated that more than 49 percent of the raw materials for Syria's poison gas and nerve agent program scheduled for destruction have been shipped overseas, with the rest expected to be transferred out by the end of next month.
The report also makes clear that Syria pledges to remove all its chemicals by April 13, except for those in areas "that are presently inaccessible" due to the conflict.
Meanwhile, in a cover letter to the new OPCW report, addressed to the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that two incidents this month of rocket attacks on the Syrian port of Latakia "did not stop the removal operations."
Ban, however, said the "precarious and unstable nature of the security situation further underlines the importance of expediting the removal of chemical weapons material from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic as quickly and as safely as possible."
Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja'afari said on Wednesday that militant attempts to shut down the port and undermine the chemical shipments were part of a bid to "create a catastrophe."
MFB/HSN/HMV
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