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| Syria Misses New Deadline As It Works To Purge Arms | Syria Misses New Deadline As It Works To Purge Arms |
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| GENEVA — Syria missed a revised deadline on Sunday for completing the export or destruction of chemicals in its weapons arsenal, but the government of the war-ravaged country may be only days away from finishing the job, according to international experts overseeing the process. | GENEVA — Syria missed a revised deadline on Sunday for completing the export or destruction of chemicals in its weapons arsenal, but the government of the war-ravaged country may be only days away from finishing the job, according to international experts overseeing the process. |
| The Syrian government had agreed to complete the export or destruction of about 1,200 tons of chemical agents by April 27 after missing a February deadline, but by Sunday, it had shipped out or destroyed 92.5 percent of the arsenal, said Sigrid Kaag, the coordinator of the joint mission by the United Nations and the watchdog agency the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. | |
| Syria had made significant progress but must “take the final step very soon” to purge the remaining 7.5 percent of the arsenal, Ms. Kaag told reporters in Damascus, according to a report on the United Nations news service website. It was unclear from the report what chemical, or chemicals, were in the remainder. | Syria had made significant progress but must “take the final step very soon” to purge the remaining 7.5 percent of the arsenal, Ms. Kaag told reporters in Damascus, according to a report on the United Nations news service website. It was unclear from the report what chemical, or chemicals, were in the remainder. |
| If Syria completes the process, it would be regarded as a critical step toward demonstrating its commitment to eradicating its entire chemical weapons program by the end of June, as the government had agreed in a deal negotiated by the United States and Russia, which was prompted by outrage over the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in a Damascus suburb. | If Syria completes the process, it would be regarded as a critical step toward demonstrating its commitment to eradicating its entire chemical weapons program by the end of June, as the government had agreed in a deal negotiated by the United States and Russia, which was prompted by outrage over the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in a Damascus suburb. |
| The United Nations news service report said Ms. Kaag had emphasized that “every effort must be made” to ensure that Syria’s entire chemical arsenal is destroyed by June 30. | The United Nations news service report said Ms. Kaag had emphasized that “every effort must be made” to ensure that Syria’s entire chemical arsenal is destroyed by June 30. |
| Syria has destroyed some of its less-dangerous chemical agents by itself, but it is shipping most of them outside the country to be destroyed by a specially adapted American vessel, the Cape Ray, and at specialized facilities in Europe and the United States. | Syria has destroyed some of its less-dangerous chemical agents by itself, but it is shipping most of them outside the country to be destroyed by a specially adapted American vessel, the Cape Ray, and at specialized facilities in Europe and the United States. |
| The slow rate of shipments in the first two months of the year raised concerns that Syria might renege on its commitments, but deliveries accelerated in March and April. And although the revised deadline passed on Sunday without completion, the watchdog agency said it believed that the government was in a position to finish delivering chemicals to the Syrian port of Latakia for shipment abroad within days. | The slow rate of shipments in the first two months of the year raised concerns that Syria might renege on its commitments, but deliveries accelerated in March and April. And although the revised deadline passed on Sunday without completion, the watchdog agency said it believed that the government was in a position to finish delivering chemicals to the Syrian port of Latakia for shipment abroad within days. |
| Syria has completed removing chemical weapons from 11 of the 12 sites where it had stored them, and the volume of chemicals remaining could be moved in “one large consignment or two regular consignments,” said Michael Luhan, a spokesman for the agency based in The Hague. | Syria has completed removing chemical weapons from 11 of the 12 sites where it had stored them, and the volume of chemicals remaining could be moved in “one large consignment or two regular consignments,” said Michael Luhan, a spokesman for the agency based in The Hague. |
| Disarmament experts say the pace at which Syria has dismantled its chemical weapons program has few parallels, if any. “It’s been a unique operation, quick under the circumstances,” Ralf Trapp, a chemical weapons expert, said in an interview in which he alluded to the security challenges faced in moving the dangerous cargo in a civil war. “Frankly, many people wouldn’t have expected it would be achievable six months ago.” | Disarmament experts say the pace at which Syria has dismantled its chemical weapons program has few parallels, if any. “It’s been a unique operation, quick under the circumstances,” Ralf Trapp, a chemical weapons expert, said in an interview in which he alluded to the security challenges faced in moving the dangerous cargo in a civil war. “Frankly, many people wouldn’t have expected it would be achievable six months ago.” |
| That achievement, however, is now overshadowed by reports that Syrian forces have attacked targets with bombs filled with chlorine gas. The government denied those reports. | That achievement, however, is now overshadowed by reports that Syrian forces have attacked targets with bombs filled with chlorine gas. The government denied those reports. |
| As a common industrial chemical, chlorine is not on the list of agents prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty signed by Syria last year, and the country was not under any obligation to include it in the inventory it was required to deliver to the watchdog agency. Disarmament experts say, however, that the use of any chemical for military purposes violates the convention. | As a common industrial chemical, chlorine is not on the list of agents prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty signed by Syria last year, and the country was not under any obligation to include it in the inventory it was required to deliver to the watchdog agency. Disarmament experts say, however, that the use of any chemical for military purposes violates the convention. |
| Syria also has to complete the destruction of 12 production facilities used in its chemical weapons program, an issue that will be considered at a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ executive council on Tuesday. | Syria also has to complete the destruction of 12 production facilities used in its chemical weapons program, an issue that will be considered at a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ executive council on Tuesday. |
| Syria said it had sealed and thus neutralized the facilities, including seven underground bunkers that it argues would be costly to destroy, but the United States and other Western countries say that the measures taken could be reversed and that the convention requires the destruction of the facilities. | Syria said it had sealed and thus neutralized the facilities, including seven underground bunkers that it argues would be costly to destroy, but the United States and other Western countries say that the measures taken could be reversed and that the convention requires the destruction of the facilities. |