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Chemical Arms Inspectors Say Syria Has Destroyed All Declared Sites Chemical Arms Inspectors Say Syria Has Destroyed All Declared Sites
(about 2 hours later)
LONDON — The international chemical weapons watchdog said on Thursday that Syria had met an important deadline for the “functional destruction” of all the chemical weapons production and mixing facilities it declared to inspectors, rendering them inoperable, under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States.LONDON — The international chemical weapons watchdog said on Thursday that Syria had met an important deadline for the “functional destruction” of all the chemical weapons production and mixing facilities it declared to inspectors, rendering them inoperable, under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States.
While some experts depicted the announcement as a milestone, the measures left President Bashar al-Assad in control of a declared 1,290 tons of chemical weapons that are supposed to be destroyed by mid-2014, and an array of conventional weapons used in the country’s bloody civil war, in which over 100,000 people have died. While some experts depicted the announcement as a milestone, the measures left President Bashar al-Assad in control of a declared 1,290 metric tons of chemical weapons that are supposed to be destroyed by mid-2014, and an array of conventional weapons used in the country’s bloody civil war, in which over 100,000 people have died.
“The Assad regime continues to use artillery, air power and seige tactics against civilians, with thousands killed every month,” the British Foreign Office said in a statement. While the destruction of facilities is “an important first milestone, it brings no relief to the Syrian people.” “The Assad regime continues to use artillery, air power and siege tactics against civilians, with thousands killed every month,” the British Foreign Office said in a statement. While the destruction of facilities is “an important first milestone, it brings no relief to the Syrian people.”
“As winter approaches, the humanitarian situation grows more acute with millions left vulnerable,” the statement said.“As winter approaches, the humanitarian situation grows more acute with millions left vulnerable,” the statement said.
The watchdog group, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, said in a statement that a joint team of its inspectors and United Nations officials had visited 21 of the 23 chemical sites Syria declared to them. While the remaining two sites were too hazardous to visit because of the country’s civil war, the chemical-making equipment there had already been moved to other sites that the inspectors could visit, the statement said. The watchdog group, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, in The Hague, said in a statement that a joint team of its inspectors and United Nations officials had visited 21 of the 23 chemical sites Syria declared to them. While the remaining two sites were too hazardous to visit because of the country’s civil war, the chemical-making equipment there had already been moved to other sites that the inspectors could visit, the statement said.
“The Joint O.P.C.W.-U.N. mission has inspected 21 of the 23 sites declared by Syria, and 39 of the 41 facilities located at those sites,” the statement said. “The two remaining sites were not visited due to safety and security concerns. But Syria declared those sites as abandoned and that the chemical weapons program items they contained were moved to other declared sites, which were inspected.”“The Joint O.P.C.W.-U.N. mission has inspected 21 of the 23 sites declared by Syria, and 39 of the 41 facilities located at those sites,” the statement said. “The two remaining sites were not visited due to safety and security concerns. But Syria declared those sites as abandoned and that the chemical weapons program items they contained were moved to other declared sites, which were inspected.”
“The joint mission is now satisfied that it has verified — and seen destroyed — all of Syria’s declared critical production and mixing/filling equipment,” it added. “Given the progress made, no further inspection activities are currently planned.”“The joint mission is now satisfied that it has verified — and seen destroyed — all of Syria’s declared critical production and mixing/filling equipment,” it added. “Given the progress made, no further inspection activities are currently planned.”
The group said Syria had met the deadline set by the group’s executive council, which had urged the destruction of production and other equipment no later than Friday.The group said Syria had met the deadline set by the group’s executive council, which had urged the destruction of production and other equipment no later than Friday.
According to an inventory of Syria’s chemical weapons program reported by the agency to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the facilities that have been destroyed since inspectors started work at the beginning of October include 18 production facilities, eight mobile filling units and three other “chemical weapons-related” facilities.
“It was a smash-and-grab operation that didn’t need high-tech anything,” Michael Luhan, a spokesman for the chemical weapons group, said in a telephone interview.
Syria agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal to avert threatened American and French military strikes after a poison gas attack in a suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Aug. 21 that killed hundreds of people.Syria agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal to avert threatened American and French military strikes after a poison gas attack in a suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Aug. 21 that killed hundreds of people.
The United States and its allies backing Syria’s rebels accused forces loyal to Mr. Assad of responsibility for the attack. Mr. Assad blamed the rebels themselves.The United States and its allies backing Syria’s rebels accused forces loyal to Mr. Assad of responsibility for the attack. Mr. Assad blamed the rebels themselves.
The next phase of the timetable set down by the United Nations is Syria’s destruction of its stockpiles of chemical weapons by mid-2014. Those weapons are reported to include mustard gas and sarin, a toxic nerve agent that the Obama administration says was used in the Aug. 21 attack. The next phase of the timetable set down by the United Nations is Syria’s destruction of its stockpiles of chemical weapons by mid-2014. Disarmament experts have said the large number of weapons makes the deadline for their destruction a major challenge.
Syria’s arsenal has about 1,000 metric tons of Category 1 chemical weapons, according to the agency’s report to Mr. Ban last week. These include sarin, which the United States said was used in the Aug. 21 attack; VX nerve agent; and sulfur mustard. Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of the organization, said Syria also had about 290 metric tons of Category 2 chemical weapons, which are believed to be mostly precursor chemicals, and 1,230 munitions for delivering chemical weapons that had yet to be filled.
On the positive side, Mr. Uzumcu said most of the Category 1 weapons were binary precursor chemicals that would need to be combined to become active agents. These will be safer to transport out of the country and easier to destroy. That situation and the absence of loaded chemical munitions — which need more permanent structures, like blast containment chambers, for their destruction — greatly simplifies the task facing Syria and the watchdog group, Mr. Luhan said.
“It makes the deadline immediately much more doable,” he said. The big issue will be what is going to be moved out of the country, and where, he said.
Syria has submitted proposals to destroy the arsenal to the organization, which has yet to approve them. The executive council must approve the plan by Nov. 15, the statement said.Syria has submitted proposals to destroy the arsenal to the organization, which has yet to approve them. The executive council must approve the plan by Nov. 15, the statement said.
The organization has not specified the locations of the sites that inspectors were not able to visit on their mission, which showed the perils of operating in a war zone where some places are under siege and battle lines shift unpredictably. The organization has not specified the locations of the sites that inspectors were not able to visit on their mission, which illustrated the perils of operating in a war zone where some places are under siege and battle lines shift unpredictably.
Michael Luhan, a spokesman, said one of the sites was near Damascus, in the south, and the other was near Aleppo, in the north. News reports say government forces have bombarded the northern town of Safira in recent weeks to try to dislodge rebels, including Islamist fighters linked to Al Qaeda. Mr. Luhan said in an earlier interview that one of the sites was near Damascus, in the south, and the other near Aleppo, in the north. News reports say government forces have bombarded the northern town of Safira in recent weeks to try to dislodge rebels, including Islamist fighters linked to Al Qaeda.
“Access to both sites would be extremely risky,” Mr. Luhan said.“Access to both sites would be extremely risky,” Mr. Luhan said.
In its statement, the watchdog group also reported that eight inspectors had returned to its headquarters after spending a month in Damascus as part of an advance team that arrived there on Oct. 1. Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of the organization, praised their “fortitude and courage” in “fulfilling the most challenging mission ever undertaken by this organization.” In its statement, the watchdog group also reported that eight inspectors had returned to its headquarters after spending a month in Damascus as part of an advance team that arrived there on Oct. 1. Mr. Uzumcu praised their “fortitude and courage” in “fulfilling the most challenging mission ever undertaken by this organization.”
Last week, the organization said it had 27 inspectors in Syria working in three teams, but that number will be reduced to 15 this week in staff rotations.Last week, the organization said it had 27 inspectors in Syria working in three teams, but that number will be reduced to 15 this week in staff rotations.
In his first report on the operation to the executive council, Mr. Uzumcu said the facilities declared by Syria include eight mobile filling units, Agence France-Presse reported on Thursday. The authorities in Damascus also said they had approximately 1,290 tons of chemical weapons and 1,230 unfilled chemical munitions, meaning shells, rockets or mortars. Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States contributed $5.5 million to help finance the destruction program, the report said. It is not clear where the chemical weapons will be destroyed. Last week, Norway turned down an American request to destroy part of the arsenal.
“In addition, the Syrian authorities have reported finding two cylinders not belonging to them, which are believed to contain chemical weapons,” the report said without elaborating, according to the news agency.
Five countries — Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States — contributed $5.5 million to help finance the destruction program, the report said. It is not clear where the chemical weapons will be destroyed. Last week, Norway turned down an American request to destroy part of the arsenal.

Nick Cumming-Bruce contributed reporting from Geneva.

Nick Cumming-Bruce contributed reporting from Geneva.