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The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW says Syria has met a deadline for destroying its chemical production and mixing equipment. The organization says its members in Syria have inspected 21 out of 23 chemical weapons sites across the country. The two remaining sites have not been inspected yet due to security problems. However, their chemical equipment has been transferred to other places already inspected. The chemical weapons disarmament is in line with a deal proposed by Russia to prevent a military attack by Washington on Syria. The deal stipulates that Syria dismantle its entire stockpile of chemical weapons by June 20-14.

The UN secretary-general has deplored the use of chemical weapons in Syria and has called on the international community to sanction those responsible for the chemical attacks. Ban Ki-moon\'s statement came a day after a UN report concluded that banned chemical weapons were used at least five times before Damascus agreed to dismantle its arsenal. However, the report did not lay blame for the attacks. The report said evidence indicated chemical weapons were probably used in Khan al-Assal outside Aleppo on March 19 against soldiers and civilians. The government and opposition accused each other of using chemical weapons at Khan al-Assal, and the report said none of the parties in Syria denied their use in the village. Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, who led the UN investigation team that compiled the report, reminded reporters that the mandate did not allow him to point the finger at anyone.

Victims of the 1988 chemical gas attack in Iraqi Kurdistan are taking legal action against foreign firms. Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein bought tons of chemical weapons from European firms for his assault on Kurdistan\'s Halabja town. The head of Halabja\'s Chemical Victims Society has called on families of victims to file lawsuits against the firms that armed the Iraqi dictator. In June a group of victims filed a lawsuit against two European firms. Dutch businessman Frans van Anraat sold tons of chemicals used in the Halabja attack. Halabja\'s genocide victims say they are determined to seek justice from any country and any business involved in selling chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein. But the victims also want to send a clear message against the use of chemical weapons by any country in the future. Dale McEwan, Press TV, Arbil

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says Syria has submitted a detailed plan to destroy its chemical arsenal on time. The OPCW said in a statement that Damascus has handed over its formal initial declaration covering its chemical weapons program. The declaration includes a general plan of destruction to be considered by the OPCW Executive Council. Damascus was required to submit the destruction plan under a US-Russian deal agreed last month. Syria has already handed over an inventory of its chemical weapons and international inspectors are probing its facilities. The team has until November 1 to inspect the chemical weapons arsenals declared by Damascus and supervise the destruction of the related facilities.

Iran\'s deputy foreign minister has called for a world free of the production, stockpiling, and use of weapons of mass destruction especially chemical arms. Abbas Araqchi made the comments at the 18th conference of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. Araqchi stressed that Iran is committed to the convention against chemical weapons. He says his country is a victim of the lethal weapons, referring to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein\'s chemical attacks on Iran. Saddam also used chemical weapons against his own people. He\'d obtained these weapons from some Western countries.

The head of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons the OPCW says Israel and several other countries should join the chemical arms treaty. Ahmed Uzum-ju received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Organization in Oslo. The Hague based organization was awarded the prize for its efforts to eliminate Syria\'s chemical arms arsenal. The OPCW sent experts to Syria after a sarin gas attack killed more than 1400 people in the Damascus Countryside in August. Both the government and foreign backed insurgents blamed each other for the attack. Later on, the Syrian government agreed to give up the country\'s chemical weapons arsenal to avert a US attack on Syrian soil.

Russia has repeated its allegations that foreign-backed insurgents in Syria were behind the chemical weapons attacks in the country. Russia\'s UN ambassador says the US has provided no proof that the Syrian government was involved in the attacks. Vitaly Churkin said that the claims that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attacks are not persuasive. He added that Moscow views last August\'s deadly sarin gas attack outside Damascus as a provocation by the militants. The remarks came after a closed-door meeting on a UN investigation into the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. At the meeting, Russia and Western nations remained at loggerheads over who is to blame for the attacks. But UN experts recently said they have credible information that chemical weapons were used against the Syrian army and civilians. However, the U-N report has not determined whether the Syrian government or foreign-backed insurgents were responsible for the attacks.

Russia has repeated its allegations that foreign-backed insurgents in Syria were behind the chemical weapons attacks in the country. Russia\'s UN ambassador says the US has provided no proof that the Syrian government was involved in the attacks. Vitaly Churkin said that the claims that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attacks are not persuasive. He added that Moscow views last August\'s deadly sarin gas attack outside Damascus as a provocation by the militants. The remarks came after a closed-door meeting on a UN investigation into the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. At the meeting, Russia and Western nations remained at loggerheads over who is to blame for the attacks. But UN experts recently said they have credible information that chemical weapons were used against the Syrian army and civilians. However, the UN report has not determined whether the Syrian government or foreign-backed insurgents were responsible for the attacks.

Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss ways of safely destroying Syria\\\'s chemical arms. The meeting will be held behind closed doors. This, as a Russian official says Syria\\\'s chemical weapons will be taken out of the country through its maritime borders. The Arab country agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal after the August 21 deadly gas attack near Damascus. The Syrian government and Russia have repeatedly said that the attack was carried out by insurgents to provoke Western governments, particularly the U-S into a military intervention in Syria.

[29 Apr 2014] Iran, major victim of chemical weapons - English

he United Nations Security Council has held a meeting to discuss the destruction of Syria\'s chemical weapons. The meeting comes as the world\'s chemical weapons watchdog prepares to ship Syria\'s chemical arms stockpile out of the country at the beginning of 2014.

The Syrian foreign minister has accused foreign supporters of insurgents of leaking information about the locations of the country\'s chemical weapons. Walid Moallem slammed the countries that help militants locate Syria\'s chemical weapons, saying Damascus holds such states responsible for the consequences of their actions. The Syrian foreign ministry also called on international organizations to take action and help stop these acts. It also noted that government forces have foiled two insurgent attacks on the locations of chemical weapons in central and southern Syria. Earlier this week, militants tried to storm two facilities that stored the countries\' chemical arms. They attempted to break into the facilities with an armored vehicle loaded with explosives.

The United States has criticized the Syrian government for what it calls the slow pace in removing and destroying its chemical agents. Meanwhile, the U-S representative to the international chemical weapons watchdog has accused Damascus of delaying efforts to remove chemical agents from Syria. Robert Mikulak has told the Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons\' executive council that one month after the deadline, only 4 percent of the most toxic chemicals has been removed. The Syrian government had no immediate comment but Damascus has insisted on the need to receive additional security equipment for shipping containers and high-tech electronics, to secure the convoys.

Syria says it\'s committed to destroying its chemical weapons despite difficulties caused by the ongoing fighting with foreign-backed militants. Deputy foreign minister, Faisal Meqdad says the difficulties may at times prevent Damascus from implementing some of its commitments. However, he says the government will fully turn over its chemical weapons by June, as required by the deal brokered by the US and Russia last year. Damascus has already met several deadlines in the process of destroying its chemical weapons so far. But, it has reportedly delayed the work twice. The US and Britain have criticized Syria for that, with Washington accusing Damascus of having a slow pace in moving the weapons abroad. Syria has rejected such claims and blamed the U-S for the delays because of its support for militants.

[22 Apr 2014] OPCW: Damascus has handed over 86.5% of chemical weapons arsenal - English

[13 Oct 2014] Images of Kurdish victims suggest ISIL use of chemical weapons - English

James Corbett explains why the latest chemical attack in Syria, that may have killed up to 1300 people and which is being blamed on Assads army has all the earmarks of a false flag operation perpetrated by the Syrian rebels The rebels have a history of using chemical weapons and they would have much to gain if the attacks are blamed on the army Assad on the other hand would have much to lose by launching a chemical attack on its own citizens especially since it has been winning the conflict for the past several months

[06 July 2014] India plans chemical feedstock zones in Iran - English

[08 July 2014] Iraq tells UN: Militants have captured chemical weapons plant - English

[13 Oct 2014] ISIL used chemical weapons against Kobani Kurdish fighters - English

In this edition, Face to Face interviews Bob Rigg who is a Chemical Weapons Expert to talk about the victims of chemical and nuclear weapons.

[28 Jan 2013] Syria militants possess chemical arms - English

[20 Mar 2013] Aleppo chemical attack NATO pretext to step in - English

[10 April 2013] US redeploys controversial chemical battalion - English

Every year the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - or OPCW - hosts an exhibition at its headquarters in The Netherlands to commemorate the people of Sardasht, Iran. In 1987 Saddam Hussein\'s warplanes unleashed a poisonous rain of chemical weapons, killing as many as 113 civilians and injuring thousands more. The victims gasped and vomited as they were rushed to hospitals. They dropped dead on the streets. They cried out as their eyes burned and skin bubbled.

[27 August 2013] France ratcheting up pressure on Syria over alleged chemical attack - English

[27 August 2013] Syria FM challenge West to show proof for chemical attack claims ‎- English

[28 August 2013] China urges cautious response over allegations of Syria\'s chemical attack - English