Final destruction of Syrian chemicals delayed
- 10 years ago
A helicopter free falls out of the Syrian sky.
Video which Reuters can't verify purports to show it happening Thursday, over the capital Damascus.
It comes the same day the head of the U.N. watchdog that's monitoring the destruction of Syria's worst chemical weapons says… there's been a delay.
Ahmet Uzumcu told reporters in Rome bad weather, war, and beuracracy were to blame.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OPCW, AHMET UZUMCU, SAYING:
"The biggest area of concern is clearly the safe transportation of those weapons, chemical substances, from the sites in Syria to the port of Latakia. So if we can achieve that in the coming days and weeks in a smooth manner, I think most of the mission in fact will be completed."
The delay means Syria's mustard gas and Sarin components won't be destroyed -- under an international disarmament deal -- until the end of June.
Three months behind schedule.
The Italian port of Gioia Tauro is where the c
Video which Reuters can't verify purports to show it happening Thursday, over the capital Damascus.
It comes the same day the head of the U.N. watchdog that's monitoring the destruction of Syria's worst chemical weapons says… there's been a delay.
Ahmet Uzumcu told reporters in Rome bad weather, war, and beuracracy were to blame.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OPCW, AHMET UZUMCU, SAYING:
"The biggest area of concern is clearly the safe transportation of those weapons, chemical substances, from the sites in Syria to the port of Latakia. So if we can achieve that in the coming days and weeks in a smooth manner, I think most of the mission in fact will be completed."
The delay means Syria's mustard gas and Sarin components won't be destroyed -- under an international disarmament deal -- until the end of June.
Three months behind schedule.
The Italian port of Gioia Tauro is where the c