By Tatenda Chambwe
International inspectors overseeing destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons have missed their deadline of visiting two sites linked to alleged Damascus chemical program.
The chief of the global chemical weapons watchdog disclosed in a report obtained by Associated Press that Syria has declared 41 facilities at 23 chemical sites where it stored about 1,300 tons of precursors and agents, as well as over 1,200 unfilled munitions to deliver them.
In his first report to the UN Security Council AhmetUzumcu said inspectors from the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had corroborated the information provided by Syrian authorities at 37 of the 41 facilities.
But the OPCW said inspectors were only able to visit 21 of the 23 sites because of security risks, which resulted in them missing their October 27 deadline.
The outstanding sites appear to be in the rebel held or contested areas.
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One of the areas, a town of al-Safira has been engulfed by fighting for months between the government forces and al-Quaida linked groups.
“In addition, the Syrian authorities have reported finding two cylinders not belonging to them which are believed to contain chemical weapons,” said Uzumcu.
In a letter to the UN Security the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the joint OPCW – UN mission is constantly reviewing security at the two locations “with the intention of visiting them as soon as conditions permit”.
The next target is November 1 when Syria is to complete the destruction of all equipment used to produce chemical weapons to ensure Syria will no longer be able to make new chemical weapons.
After that the international community and Syria will have to agree to a plan to destroy the country’s chemical stockpile which is believed to include mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin.
Syria is responsible for the destruction of all facilities, stocks and chemical weapons.
The OPCW – UN mission stems from a deadly chemical attack on the rebel held suburbs of Damascus in August that killed hundreds of people.
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But President Bashar Assad denied any role in the attack while the US and its allies blamed his government and threatened to carry out punitive missile attacks on Syria.
The US and Russia then brokered an agreement for Syria to relinquish its chemical arsenal.
Assad quickly agreed and a deal enshrined in the UN Security Council resolution was crafted.
It endorses a road map for a political transition in Syria and calls for a peace conference to be held in Geneva as soon as possible.
UN – Arab league envoy LakhdarBrahimi travelled to Damascus on Monday as part of his regional trip to drum up support for the conference.
It was also reported on Monday that the Syrian government forces retook a Christian town north of Damascus, expelling al-Quaida linked rebels after a week of heavy fighting, state media and opposition activists said.
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