(VOVworld) – A team of experts from the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has begun to destroy Syria’s chemical weapon arsenal estimated at 1,000 tons. There have been many positive comments on the work but it’s too early to say the work will go smoothly in the middle of a civil war.

UN and OPCW experts began to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal (photo: AFP)

Hidden dangers

The first OPCW team arrived in Syria on October 1 before the work of destroying the arsenal began, because they needed to prepare necessary equipment. OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu said the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons will be a long and difficult process. Syria's chemical arsenal is thought to include chemicals used for the production of mustard gas and the nerve agents sarin and VX. They are stored at 45 sites scattered across the country. This is the first time in OCPW’s history that its experts have performed their role in a country in chaos from a prolonged civil war. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said 7 of the declared sites are in combat zones. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said they will need 100 international experts to supervise the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons. He warned that they will face unprecedented dangers in Syria.  

One day after Ban’s warning, rebels in Syria launched an operation targeting two government military bases in Idlib. The attack ignited concerns over the dangers confronting the UN and OPCW experts.

A favorable start

Despite the challenges, the process of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons is going forward. One week after the UN resolution was approved some weapons have already been destroyed, including missile warheads, bombs, and chemical mixing machines. The OPCW praised the Syrian government’s cooperative and constructive attitude and said it will send a second team to Syria to hasten the work.

The effort has received positive feedback from the international community. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Syria has actively supported the inspectors. He said: “Doubts about whether the Syrian leadership would adequately respond to the decision taken on chemical weapons -- these doubts were not borne out." US Secretary of State John Kerry said on October 7 that President Bashar al-Assad's government deserves credit for complying so far with the chemical weapons deal.

Chance of success

It’s undeniable that the experts have been given favorable conditions to complete their difficult task. But it will be a long process to destroy over 1,000 tons of chemical weapons (9 months), and war developments in Syria are unpredictable. Can the task be accomplished? The answer is still unknown.