UN Disarmament Team Launches Syria Mission

Local Editor

A UN disarmament team arrived Tuesday in Damascus on a mission over Syria's chemical arsenal, a day after UN experts wrapped up their investigation of alleged gas attacks.

The team of 20 inspectors from the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW] is implementing a UN resolution that over Syria's chemical arms.
The operation by a target date of mid-2014 will be one of the largest and most dangerous of its kind.
The arsenal is believed to include more than 1,000 tons of sarin, mustard gas and other chemicals stored at an estimated 45 sites across the country.

The outgoing UN team of chemical arms experts that has ended its second mission to Syria to probe seven alleged gas attacks hopes to present a final report by late October.
Earlier this month it submitted an interim report over the alleged use of the nerve agent sarin in August 21 attacks on the outskirts of Damascus.

The OPCW team arrived in Beirut on Monday before it crosses into Syria. It is unable to fly to Damascus because the road between the airport and the city is the scene of frequent fighting.
"At this point, we have absolutely no reason to doubt the information provided by the Syrian regime," an OPCW official said on Sunday.

In his first comments since the UN resolution was passed on Friday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday told Italy's Rai News 24 his regime "will comply".
"History proves that we have always honored all treaties we have signed," he was quoted as saying.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Syria's foreign minister insisted no conditions be set.
"It is now for those who claim to support a political solution in Syria to stop all hostile practices and policies against Syria, and to head to Geneva without preconditions," Walid al-Moallem said.
The United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog have launched an urgent appeal for experts to join the mission to destroy the weapons.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team