Chemical weapons organization to meet Sunday to discuss destruction of Syrian arsenal

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Members of the world’s chemical weapons watchdog will meet Sunday to discuss how to fast-track securing and destroying Syria’s poison gas and nerve agent arsenal.

Spokesman Michael Luhan said Thursday that the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will discuss the deal brokered by the United States and Russia to put Syria’s chemical weapons under international supervision and destroy them in coming months.

Under the U.S.-Russia agreement, inspectors are to be on the ground in Syria by November. During that month, they are to complete their initial assessment and all mixing and filling equipment for chemical weapons is to be destroyed.

All components of the chemical weapons program are to be removed from the country or destroyed by mid-2014.