Blog 5: Weapons Inspectors in Syria

Blog 4: Weapons Inspection Team Begins Work in Syria

The international weapons inspectors team has arrived in Syria. They have to verify that there are actual chemical weapons in the country of Syria. The inspectors hope to complete this by November 1 (New York Times). Inspectors who spent almost two weeks investigating the attack in the Damascus, a suburb of Ghouta in which hundreds of civilians died, have returned to their headquarters. There they are beginning scientific analysis of samples designed to give an answer to the question of whether a war crime was in fact committed (CNN.com). The team is now racing against the clock to complete the analysis, which is being carried out in two unidentified laboratories. "This is quite an ambitious timeline, and also the situation on the ground does complicate the mission, so it's quite challenging, and this is the most challenging mission we will undertake," said Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the OPCW(Aljeezeer.com).  

Also according to the New York Times, it looks like the UN Security Council is in for a long road ahead of them. Syria is in fact an active war zone currently (CNN.com). One of the concerns of the international community is that these weapons could be unprotected and could possibly fall into the wrong hands.  It is estimated that one half ton of chemical weapons will be ceased and destroyed per the UN Security Council resolution (CNN.com) I think that this situation is a complicated and high stakes game playing out in efforts to force Syria to give up its chemical weapons. It’s a diplomatic initiative that has major implications not just for Syria, but for Iran, which has a large stake in the continuing conflict in Syria, as well as its own difficult negotiations with the international community over its nuclear program.

Erica Warren

4:55PM

Aljazeera.com

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/1/inspectors-begincomplexmissiontodestroysyriachemicalweapons.html

CNN.com

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/world/middleeast/weapons-inspection-team-begins-work-in-syria.html.