Syria ships out first batch of chemical weapons
- 9 years ago
Originally published on January 8, 2014
Syria has begun removing chemical weapons from its territory as part of an internationally backed disarmament program spearheaded by Russia and the United States but until now delayed by war.
Syrian authorities removed the first batch of chemical weapons from two sites among many scattered across the country.
A total of nine barrels of material were moved onto Russian-supplied armoured trucks. The U.S. supplied container drums and GPS locators to enhance security for the sensitive cargo.
A convoy of Russian trucks and Syrian security forces moved overland to the port of Latakia where the material was loaded onto a Danish cargo vessel, which set sail for an undisclosed port in Italy.
There the cargo was moved to the U.S. vessel MV Cape Ray, which then sailed to open water in the Mediterranean where the chemical agents were destroyed.
China supplied ambulances, and Finland sent an emergency response team for added security were anything go wrong during the move.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that: "Syria agreed to abandon its chemical weapons by June under a deal proposed by Russia and agreed with the United States after an August 21 sarin gas attack that Western nations blamed on President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Damascus blames rebels for the attack.
The report continues:
War, bad weather, bureaucracy and technical issues meant a December 31 deadline for the removal of the most deadly toxins from Syria was missed.
The OPCW did not disclose what percentage of Syria's toxic arsenal — which totals 1,300 tons in all — had been removed but said nine containers of the most dangerous chemical materials were on the Danish cargo vessel.
"The vessel has been accompanied by naval escorts provided by Denmark and Norway, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic," a statement said. "It will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port."
Maritime security was being provided by Chinese, Da
Syria has begun removing chemical weapons from its territory as part of an internationally backed disarmament program spearheaded by Russia and the United States but until now delayed by war.
Syrian authorities removed the first batch of chemical weapons from two sites among many scattered across the country.
A total of nine barrels of material were moved onto Russian-supplied armoured trucks. The U.S. supplied container drums and GPS locators to enhance security for the sensitive cargo.
A convoy of Russian trucks and Syrian security forces moved overland to the port of Latakia where the material was loaded onto a Danish cargo vessel, which set sail for an undisclosed port in Italy.
There the cargo was moved to the U.S. vessel MV Cape Ray, which then sailed to open water in the Mediterranean where the chemical agents were destroyed.
China supplied ambulances, and Finland sent an emergency response team for added security were anything go wrong during the move.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that: "Syria agreed to abandon its chemical weapons by June under a deal proposed by Russia and agreed with the United States after an August 21 sarin gas attack that Western nations blamed on President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Damascus blames rebels for the attack.
The report continues:
War, bad weather, bureaucracy and technical issues meant a December 31 deadline for the removal of the most deadly toxins from Syria was missed.
The OPCW did not disclose what percentage of Syria's toxic arsenal — which totals 1,300 tons in all — had been removed but said nine containers of the most dangerous chemical materials were on the Danish cargo vessel.
"The vessel has been accompanied by naval escorts provided by Denmark and Norway, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic," a statement said. "It will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port."
Maritime security was being provided by Chinese, Da