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| Clamor Grows for Syria to Deliver on Chemical Arms Pledge | Clamor Grows for Syria to Deliver on Chemical Arms Pledge |
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| The head of the United Nations chemical weapons watchdog added his voice on Friday to calls on Syria to accelerate the elimination of its chemical weapons, a day after Washington accused the Syrian government of deliberately stalling the weapons’ removal from the country to gain bargaining leverage and — in a new complaint — reneging on a pledge to destroy the 12 facilities that produced them. | The head of the United Nations chemical weapons watchdog added his voice on Friday to calls on Syria to accelerate the elimination of its chemical weapons, a day after Washington accused the Syrian government of deliberately stalling the weapons’ removal from the country to gain bargaining leverage and — in a new complaint — reneging on a pledge to destroy the 12 facilities that produced them. |
| In a statement issued on Friday, Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, called for “more rapid progress” in getting the chemicals out of Syria, saying, “The need for the process to pick up pace is obvious.” The organization is helping the United Nations oversee destruction of the arsenal. | In a statement issued on Friday, Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, called for “more rapid progress” in getting the chemicals out of Syria, saying, “The need for the process to pick up pace is obvious.” The organization is helping the United Nations oversee destruction of the arsenal. |
| The proliferation of calls for an end to delays reflected growing impatience with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who renounced his chemical weapons arsenal and joined the treaty that bans them after an international uproar over an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the country’s civil war. | The proliferation of calls for an end to delays reflected growing impatience with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who renounced his chemical weapons arsenal and joined the treaty that bans them after an international uproar over an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the country’s civil war. |
| Under a Russian-American deal that averted a United States airstrike on Syrian military sites, Mr. Assad pledged that the entire chemical arsenal would be destroyed by the middle of this year. A United Nations Security Council resolution, unanimously passed on Sept. 27, was meant to ensure Syria’s compliance. | Under a Russian-American deal that averted a United States airstrike on Syrian military sites, Mr. Assad pledged that the entire chemical arsenal would be destroyed by the middle of this year. A United Nations Security Council resolution, unanimously passed on Sept. 27, was meant to ensure Syria’s compliance. |
| Mr. Assad’s government initially cooperated with an international team overseeing the sequestering of the weapons and destruction of the equipment needed to activate them. But the cooperation began to falter in adhering to a timetable for exporting the roughly 1,200 tons of chemicals in the arsenal for eventual destruction at sea. | Mr. Assad’s government initially cooperated with an international team overseeing the sequestering of the weapons and destruction of the equipment needed to activate them. But the cooperation began to falter in adhering to a timetable for exporting the roughly 1,200 tons of chemicals in the arsenal for eventual destruction at sea. |
| The Syrians missed the first deadline on Dec. 31 for removal of the most dangerous toxins, and are likely to miss the second on Feb. 5, when the entire stockpile is supposed to be safely out of the country. Only two small shipments have been exported so far from the Syrian port of Latakia. | The Syrians missed the first deadline on Dec. 31 for removal of the most dangerous toxins, and are likely to miss the second on Feb. 5, when the entire stockpile is supposed to be safely out of the country. Only two small shipments have been exported so far from the Syrian port of Latakia. |
| A multinational flotilla has been waiting offshore to transport the rest. On Monday, a United States naval vessel, the Cape Ray, equipped with technology to render the chemicals harmless, began the voyage from Virginia to a southern Italian port where the chemicals are to be transferred into its cargo hold. | A multinational flotilla has been waiting offshore to transport the rest. On Monday, a United States naval vessel, the Cape Ray, equipped with technology to render the chemicals harmless, began the voyage from Virginia to a southern Italian port where the chemicals are to be transferred into its cargo hold. |
| Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking Thursday in Warsaw, expressed concern over the slow progress, and said he had telephoned his Russian counterpart, Sergei K. Shoigu, on Wednesday, requesting Moscow’s influence on Mr. Assad’s government to accelerate compliance. | Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking Thursday in Warsaw, expressed concern over the slow progress, and said he had telephoned his Russian counterpart, Sergei K. Shoigu, on Wednesday, requesting Moscow’s influence on Mr. Assad’s government to accelerate compliance. |
| Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, said Secretary of State John Kerry had also called his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Wednesday. “This is not rocket science,” Ms. Psaki said of the Syrian behavior. “They’re dragging their feet.” | Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, said Secretary of State John Kerry had also called his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Wednesday. “This is not rocket science,” Ms. Psaki said of the Syrian behavior. “They’re dragging their feet.” |
| The American frustration was expressed two days after President Obama described the agreement to eliminate the arsenal as an unqualified success. “American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated,” Mr. Obama said in his State of the Union address. | The American frustration was expressed two days after President Obama described the agreement to eliminate the arsenal as an unqualified success. “American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated,” Mr. Obama said in his State of the Union address. |
| The most pointed criticism on Thursday came from the United States ambassador to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. | The most pointed criticism on Thursday came from the United States ambassador to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. |
| The ambassador, Robert P. Mikulak, said in a statement he presented at the organization’s executive council meeting that since its last meeting on Jan. 8, “the effort to remove chemical agent and key precursor chemicals from Syria has seriously languished and stalled.” | The ambassador, Robert P. Mikulak, said in a statement he presented at the organization’s executive council meeting that since its last meeting on Jan. 8, “the effort to remove chemical agent and key precursor chemicals from Syria has seriously languished and stalled.” |
| He said that only about 4 percent of the chemicals, half of them considered especially dangerous, had been exported from Latakia so far — the first public disclosure of how much remains in the country. | He said that only about 4 percent of the chemicals, half of them considered especially dangerous, had been exported from Latakia so far — the first public disclosure of how much remains in the country. |
| Mr. Mikulak also said Syria’s “open-ended delaying of the removal operation could ultimately jeopardize the carefully timed and coordinated multistate removal and destruction effort.” | Mr. Mikulak also said Syria’s “open-ended delaying of the removal operation could ultimately jeopardize the carefully timed and coordinated multistate removal and destruction effort.” |
| In a statement published on Friday, Mr. Uzumcu, the director general of the organization, said that while two shipments of chemicals this month “represent a start, the need for the process to pick up pace is obvious.” | In a statement published on Friday, Mr. Uzumcu, the director general of the organization, said that while two shipments of chemicals this month “represent a start, the need for the process to pick up pace is obvious.” |
| His language echoed a recent assessment offered by Mr. Uzumcu and Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general. Those two officials, the statement said, “spoke recently and agreed that the removal process must be accelerated.” | His language echoed a recent assessment offered by Mr. Uzumcu and Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general. Those two officials, the statement said, “spoke recently and agreed that the removal process must be accelerated.” |
| “Ways and means must be found to establish continuity and predictability of shipments,” Mr. Uzumcu said on Friday, to assure the organization’s member states “that the program, while delayed, is not deferred.” | “Ways and means must be found to establish continuity and predictability of shipments,” Mr. Uzumcu said on Friday, to assure the organization’s member states “that the program, while delayed, is not deferred.” |
| The statement quoted the Syrian government as telling Mr. Uzumcu that while it was concerned about the security of the shipments, it “reiterated its commitment to completing the program and assured that it is working on a schedule for the transport and removal of the chemicals.” | The statement quoted the Syrian government as telling Mr. Uzumcu that while it was concerned about the security of the shipments, it “reiterated its commitment to completing the program and assured that it is working on a schedule for the transport and removal of the chemicals.” |
| At the meeting Thursday, the statement said, “there was a shared sentiment in favor of more rapid progress given that the multinational effort in support of the removal and destruction program has committed significant resources.” | At the meeting Thursday, the statement said, “there was a shared sentiment in favor of more rapid progress given that the multinational effort in support of the removal and destruction program has committed significant resources.” |
| Mr. Assad and his subordinates have said the delays are the result of security concerns about insurgent sabotage on the routes to the port. They demanded additional equipment, including armored jackets for shipping containers, electronic countermeasures and detectors to thwart roadside bombs. | Mr. Assad and his subordinates have said the delays are the result of security concerns about insurgent sabotage on the routes to the port. They demanded additional equipment, including armored jackets for shipping containers, electronic countermeasures and detectors to thwart roadside bombs. |
| “These demands are without merit and display a ‘bargaining mentality’ rather than a security mentality,” Mr. Mikulak, the American ambassador, said in his statement, posted on the State Department’s website. | “These demands are without merit and display a ‘bargaining mentality’ rather than a security mentality,” Mr. Mikulak, the American ambassador, said in his statement, posted on the State Department’s website. |
| He also expressed American objections to a Syrian proposal that the seven hardened aircraft hangars and five underground structures used for producing the deadly chemicals in Syria remain “inactivated,” rather than be destroyed as specified under the treaty banning the weapons. | He also expressed American objections to a Syrian proposal that the seven hardened aircraft hangars and five underground structures used for producing the deadly chemicals in Syria remain “inactivated,” rather than be destroyed as specified under the treaty banning the weapons. |
| “These proposed measures are readily reversible within days and clearly do not meet the requirement of ‘physically destroy’ as provided for by the convention and the precedents for implementing that requirement,” he said. | “These proposed measures are readily reversible within days and clearly do not meet the requirement of ‘physically destroy’ as provided for by the convention and the precedents for implementing that requirement,” he said. |
| Mr. Mikulak said the United States wanted the roofs of the hangars and the entries to the tunnels collapsed, and wanted “the overall structural integrity of the tunnels” compromised. | |
| In a separate development, the Swedish scientist who led a United Nations panel that investigated the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack and other suspected uses of the weapons in the Syrian conflict said in an interview published Thursday that he doubted the Syrian government’s claims that rebels had been responsible. | In a separate development, the Swedish scientist who led a United Nations panel that investigated the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack and other suspected uses of the weapons in the Syrian conflict said in an interview published Thursday that he doubted the Syrian government’s claims that rebels had been responsible. |
| It appeared to be the first time that the scientist, Ake Sellstrom, had publicly expressed an opinion about which side was to blame. His panel’s assignment was to determine whether chemical weapons had been used, not who used them. | It appeared to be the first time that the scientist, Ake Sellstrom, had publicly expressed an opinion about which side was to blame. His panel’s assignment was to determine whether chemical weapons had been used, not who used them. |