Assad Submits Chemical Arms List Amid U.S.-Russia Tension
By James G. Neuger and Alaa Shahine - Sep 20, 2013
Syria disclosed an initial inventory of its chemical weapons, the first step in an agreement between the Obama administration and Russia that averted a U.S. strike on the Arab country.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has “received an initial disclosure from the Syrian government of its chemical-weapons program, which is now being examined by the technical secretariat of the organization,” according to a statement today by the Netherlands-based organization.
The move comes as the U.S., France and the U.K. push for the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution next week that would compel Syria to surrender its chemical arms. Diplomats want Syria to comply with an accord reached between the U.S. and Russia on Sept. 14, which set a timetable for President Bashar al-Assad to declare, secure and then eliminate his entire chemical arsenal.
Efforts to agree on a UN resolution encountered headwinds from Russia, which opposes any measure that alludes to a threat of force. Russia is also resisting any attempt to assign blame to Assad’s regime for an Aug. 21 chemical attack that the U.S. says killed 1,400 people, including more than 400 children.
The timetable has begun slipping. The Executive Council of the chemical weapons organization in The Hague, which would oversee Syria’s chemicals disarmament, said today it has postponed a Sept. 22 meeting on Syria, aiming for a new date in the middle of next week.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-20/assad-submits-chemical-arms-list-amid-u-s-russia-tension.html