THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Syria’s deputy foreign minister has warned that efforts to rid his country of chemical weapons could fail if the international community does not contribute money and equipment including armoured cars to the mission.
Faisal Mekdad told reporters Monday at a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons his country needs armoured vehicles and other resources to move chemicals out of Syria for destruction.
“Without these resources it will be difficult if not impossible for Syria and for all OPCW to implement the decisions,” he said.
The OPCW is aiming to destroy Syria’s entire chemical weapons program by mid-2014. It is the first time the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization has attempted such a disarmament effort in the midst of a civil war.
The task will be difficult, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He reports progress toward the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons, but says meeting the mid-2014 deadline under the “volatile” security conditions in the war-torn country will take an “unprecedented effort” by the international community.
In a letter to the U.N. Security Council obtained Monday by The Associated Press, Ban expressed deep concern at the safety of staff from the U.N. and the chemical weapons watchdog overseeing Syria’s planned removal and destruction of chemical weapons material.
He said “Syrian authorities are being encouraged to consider alternative options to ensure the safety and security of inland transportation for the chemical material.”
Ban also said “full clarity” on plans to remove the chemical material from Syria and destroy it elsewhere “is critical, including the location for destruction.”
With files from Associated Press reporter Edith M. Lederer
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