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U.N. inspectors of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria last week. Jens Meyer/AP/Press Association Images

Syria hands over detailed plan to destroy chemical weapons on time

Damascus was required to submit the destruction plan under a US-Russian deal agreed last month.

SYRIA HANDED OVER a detailed plan to destroy its chemical stockpile on time, international watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) today.

“On 24 October 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the OPCW its formal initial declaration covering its chemical weapons programme,” the watchdog said in a statement, adding that Damascus had had until today to do so.

On time

Damascus was required to submit the destruction plan under a US-Russian deal agreed last month that headed off military strikes on Syria. The accord also gives Syria up to mid-2014 to destroy its chemical arsenal.

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has already handed over an inventory of its chemical weapons and facilities, and international inspectors are already busy inspecting and destroying them. The OPCW said a first monthly report of the international inspectors, covering their work on the ground since 1 October, is ready and will be sent to the UN Security Council by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

Syria’s latest disclosures “provide the basis on which plans are devised for a systematic, total and verified destruction of declared chemical weapons and production facilities”, said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“The document from Syria includes a general plan of destruction for consideration by the OPCW Executive Council,” it added.

Chemical weapons

The OPCW’s Executive Council will use the Syrian declaration to decide by November 15 on “destruction milestones” for Syria’s arsenal. Syria has also sent in a declaration of its chemical weapons activities and facilities, meeting its obligations as a new state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW said.

(C) AFP, 2013

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    Mute Sean Mahoney
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    Oct 27th 2013, 2:03 PM

    Now time for the Muslim extremist terrorists to do the same.

    37
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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    Oct 27th 2013, 2:49 PM

    What about the US backed Mercs and spies in Syria, should they do the same?

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 4:10 PM

    Jason, have you not heard that the Saudis are not happy about the US not supporting the rebel side? They even refused a seat on the UN Security Council in protest of the US not doing enough. So how can you accuse the US of backing the rebels.
    Go listen to what the Saudis have to say about it.
    They are also critical of Obama for not using force after he threatened to do so if Assad used chemical weapons. I listened to a top Saudi official say this on the news last night.

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    Mute Gavin Scott
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    Oct 27th 2013, 4:24 PM

    Yeah, let’s not be assuming that it’s the ” Muslims” who are dodgy here. You never watch homeland? Seen what’s left of Iraq much?

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:11 PM

    Deco
    When was it proved that Assad used chemical weapons ?

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:26 PM

    So how can you accuse the US of backing the rebels

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:31 PM

    Petr, not as much as you like to believe they are.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:35 PM

    Petr, are you actually quoting from a western newspaper?
    But isn’t the western media all propoganda according to people like you?

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:35 PM

    Declan — You were 100% wrong in what you said. Have the humility to accept that.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:09 PM

    Declan
    I’m a no surrender kinda bloke so it pains me to say this but
    You should give up your talking out you’re rear end and constantly proved wrong on here take what tiny pride you have left and admit defeat

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:10 PM

    The UN is quite clear on the subject Chopstix, the Assad regime was the only likely culprit by a comfortable margin. Every single crackpot theory that points to the rebels has been thoroughly debunked at this stage.

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    Mute al shamen
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:32 PM

    The UN is a talking shop with no credibility.The chemical weapons attack was most likely a Gulf of Tomkin style false flag operation engineered by Prince Bandar Bin Sultan,the head of Saudi intelligence,designed to suck the West into the Syrian quagmire.Instead the Russians managed to convince the Americans on the benefits of a diplomatic solution.No wonder the Saudis are pissed.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 7:03 PM

    Jason
    There is no proof none nada zip zilch

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 7:09 PM

    Correction Chopstix, there is no evidence that you will accept as it challenges your view that the regime is the innocent one in this and that everything is nothing more than a US conspiracy. A regime general could admit tomorrow that he gave the order and you would still be in denial.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 7:44 PM

    Jason
    Hi I’m from earth and on earth there was no proof who did it as far as conspiracy you are the one that brought that up I deal in fact and the fact is there is no proof to say what side did it

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 8:18 PM

    No proof who did it? So the high purity sarin which required a sophisticate laboratory isn’t proof? Or the launch location which was pinpointed deep in regime territory near a military base? The impact zone which was a rebel stronghold? The rocket types which were both in use by regime forces?

    Of course there’s no proof…

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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Oct 27th 2013, 10:52 PM

    In fairness the rebels did loot everything they’d need to have carried out the attack. They even filmed their own stockpiles of the stuff. As for the location they were launched from? I wouldnt call that conclusive. Either way, the main thing that makes me doubt it was Assad is purely the fact that (at the time) it was such a dumb strategic error. Although it worked out tretty well in the end and left the US looking pretty silly. I’m on the fence either way, don’t really think there are good guys and bad guys. Just bad guys and innocent people caught up in it.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Oct 27th 2013, 11:18 PM

    And the rockets used to launch the attack gearoid? The rebels didn’t have access to them, and the trajectory evidence clearly points to them being launched from Assad’s positions.
    Agree with you about bad guys and innocents though.

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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Oct 27th 2013, 11:35 PM

    Well if they’ve launchers and munitions theres no reason to doubt they have rockets. My main reason for doubting Assad did it is that at the time it made no strategic sense. Unless this was all part of a grand plan. I don’t doubt his willingness to murder tens of thousands of innocent Syrian civilians along with rebels and foreign fighters alike to win. The death toll already proves that.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 28th 2013, 7:05 AM

    Gearoid, it did actually make sense in a way. Assad has been claiming for a while now that his regime is winning the war and “winning every battle”. Yet his forces still cannot push the rebels out of strongholds in Damascus. The area in Damascus which was attacked was one of those strongholds. It could very easily be that Assad or one of his generals (his brother is notoriously unhinged) believed that the gains would have been worth it.

    You are spot on though, in war there really is no black and white.

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    Mute Stephen
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    Oct 27th 2013, 2:10 PM

    Are they the weapons they said they didn’t use to kill women and children.

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    Mute Jazz O'Gorman
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    Oct 27th 2013, 3:10 PM

    You see, Syria’s one of the good guys.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:11 PM

    They gassed their own people, but because they then decide that dismantling them is better than being bombed by the US they’re the good guys?

    That is some twisted logic.

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    Mute al shamen
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:36 PM

    Where is the evidence they gassed their own people?Jason from reading you’re comments on the Syrian issue,you appear to be a supporter of Jihadists.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 7:12 PM

    Judging by that comment I’ll assume you have not read the UN report. There is an abundance of evidence in there that shows the regime most likely committed the attack.

    Also there is no evidence that shows the rebels are entirely foreign jihadists. In fact the highest credible estimate places them at about 20/25% of total rebel forces.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 7:46 PM

    Jason
    You are a troll you are making up things that never happened in order to get a rise out of people you sad little man
    Back under you’re bridge troll

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 8:21 PM

    What am I making up exactly? In fact not one regime supporter has ever been able to provide any evidence to back up their claim that all the rebels are foreign jihadists. So which side is making up facts exactly?

    Also you would want to look up the definition of a troll. Disagreeing with you does not make me a troll and throwing out slurs does nothing for your points.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Oct 27th 2013, 8:38 PM

    There are very few good guys in this conflict.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Oct 27th 2013, 8:40 PM

    @Chopstix
    Because Jason provides you with evidence that you cannot dispute but which is at odds with your chosen viewpoint you resort to accusing him of trolling – sweeeet….

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 27th 2013, 10:13 PM

    Mattoid
    What evidence has he provided its hearsay at best

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    Mute mattoid
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    Oct 27th 2013, 11:19 PM

    @Chopstix
    You clearly haven’t read the UN report in full.

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    Mute Gary Byrne
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    Oct 27th 2013, 4:30 PM

    Glad to see that Syria are getting rid of their chemical weapons. So when are Russia and the US getting rid of theirs?

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 5:32 PM

    Gary, the Russians and Americans have been reducing their stockpiles for years now. Go look it up.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:14 PM

    Declan, you should know by now that when people talk about the US and chemical weapons they’re really talking about white phosphorus and depleted uranium. Both of which are in no way chemical weapons if I might add.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Oct 27th 2013, 6:24 PM

    Jason, I’m aware. They have all the evidence to prove so but how dare anyone question Assad or suggest that he may have used chemical weapons. Only the “evil” Americans and Israelis commit such acts. Isn’t that right seoirse, golden, tarasov, Bourne and all others in the “we support Assad brigade”?

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    Mute Kenneth
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    Oct 27th 2013, 4:26 PM

    Naughty Syria, now don’t do it again. What kind of sanctions are they!! Imagine you killed someone with an axe; and then the gardaí made you hand your axe over and sent you on your merry way..

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