Latest Syria's foreign ministry signed an agreement yesterday to dispose of chemical weapons within the country. Russia, Syria's ally, also announced the agreement. OPWC reported two weapons shipments were made in January but the pace is not fast enough to complete the disposal by March 1st. OPCW's Director said at the executive council meeting last Friday a way had to be found to allow Syria to meet its obligations under the international agreement to rid the country of its chemical weapons arsenal. Presumably, this latest announcement is the way forward on the process. Significant international resources have been committed to disposal of the weapons at sea. The Council agreed to reconvene on 21 February to continue deliberations.
{1.02.14}More: US Person is always suspicious of any organization that runs only on unanimous consent. It is a formula for stasis. But weapons experts say that is the way the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPWC) operates. The executive council has only voted to take action twice in its history. Syria knows this and is willing to drag the removal process out to gain any advantage it can wring out of the ponderous international system. The existence of a large stockpile of chemical weapons is one reason to keep the regime in power, and it has attempted to bargain for additional military equipment it says is needed to ship the chemicals to the coast. The UN voted for penalties if Syria violates the accord, but Russia already has warned that it wants 100% proof of any alleged violations by Syria. The United States is now in a political position in which unilateral military strikes are off the table. That leaves enforcing the agreement to destroy Syria's stockpile to the OPWC. It has powers to address non-compliance including challenge inspections, but it has never invoked those powers, and never before in the middle of a civil war. OPWC procedures also call for intensive consultations with the alleged violator, a process that could go on for months or even years as in the case of Iranian dictator Saddam Hussein who played cat-and-mouse with UN inspectors before the United States invaded his country. A key deadline for exporting Syria's deadliest chemical agents and ingredients has already been missed. It is on the verge of missing a deadline on February 5th for removal of less toxic chemicals. Syrian recalcitrance should not be surprising given that what is left of the country is run by a dictator willing to gas and starve his own. The MV Cape Ray, the ship that will do the detoxification at sea, has already set sail from Norfolk for the Mediterranean. The world is waiting, Mr. Assad.
{30.01.14}Despite controlling most of the territory, the Syrian government is behind schedule on its promise to give up its chemical weapons. Only 4% of the stockpile has reached the port of Latakia and transported offshore by Norwegian and Danish ships. Concern is rising that the beleaguered government may try to use its stockpile as a bargaining chip in the deadlocked peace talks. The weapons are due to be removed by June 30th. The UN backed deal to destroy the stockpile was reached between the United States and Russia after a major chemical attack was carried out by the government in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta last summer. However, subsequent investigation by UN weapons inspectors has determined chemical weapons have been used by both sides in the civil war. Apart from assessing blame, the government is responsible for packing and transporting the weapons to Latakia. The weapons are supposed to be destroyed at sea by the US since dumping them violates the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention since no country was willing to accept responsibility for their destruction. Mobile units for destroying chemical weapons are available. Russia was the original source of Syria's chemical arsenal and has a chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch'ye. According to reports its destruction program is already running at full capacity handling Russia's extensive arsenal. Defense Secretary Hagel said he asked Russia's defense minister to influence the Syrian government to comply with the agreement. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that oversees the removal operation is meeting at the Hague to discuss the lack of progress. Only about 16 tons out of a total of 630 tons have been delivered for destruction so far.