Concern over Syria's chemical weapons stockpile triggers emergency meeting of global monitor

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The global chemical weapons watchdog opened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation in Syria over concerns about the country’s stockpile of toxic chemicals in the wake of the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Monday told Syria that it is under obligations to comply with rules to safeguard and destroy dangerous substances, such as chlorine gas, after rebels entered the capital, Damascus, over the weekend.

“Chemical weapons have been used in Syria on multiple occasions and victims deserve that perpetrators that we identified be brought to justice and held accountable for what they did and that investigations continue,” Fernando Arias González, the OPCW secretary general, said in his opening remarks.

“Our reports over the past few years have reached very clear conclusions and we hope that the new circumstances in Syria will allow this chapter to be closed soon,” he added, referring to the lack of stockpile declarations and the use of the weapons themselves.

https://apnews.com/article/syria-chemical-weapons-opcw-stockpiles-chlorine-assad-e195ca88035fc2ae1feb9e9106191329