Chemical weapons 'destroyers' begin task in Syria

An advance team of inspectors from the world's chemical weapons watchdog was expected to leave for Syria on Monday to begin the task of destroying Syria's arsenal dpa reproted.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has set November 1 as the deadline for the destruction of all chemical weapons production sites in the conflict-torn country.

Its work is to be carried out under a US-Russia disarmament plan backed by a UN resolution.

The executive committee of The Hague-based OPCW on Friday said Syria would have a week to hand over all data on the condition and position of the banned weapons.

The UN Security Council then adopted the binding resolution on the expeditious destruction of the arsenal and warned of punitive measures if the weapons are used in Syria again.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who denies his regime used chemical weapons, has pledged compliance with the UN resolution.

The OPCW mission to Syria comes as the team of UN inspectors that in mid-September confirmed the use of chemical weapons prepared to wrap up their second visit.

The UN team found that rockets containing the nerve gas sarin were used in an August 21 attack in Ghouta, an area on the outskirts of Damascus.

The United States said that more than 1,400 people were killed in the attack and had threatened to intervene militarily.

The UN team later returned to investigate allegations of chemical weapons used in seven sites, including three after August 21. The UN has said the team hopes to provide a "comprehensive report" by late October.

Syrian ally Russia has offered to pay for the destruction of the chemical weapons arsenal. Moscow has blamed the Ghouta attacks on rebels fighting to oust al-Assad.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, noted in an interview with Kommersant newspaper Monday that the OPCW has called for voluntary contributions to cover the cost.

"Russia will definitely take part in this," Lavrov said.

Much of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal should be destroyed inside the country, he said, suggesting the deployment of mobile destruction units operated by the US and a range of other countries.


/Trend/