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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 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.

Patients and doctors have protested inside Gaza\'s Shifa hospital as they marked the World Cancer Day. The number of cancer cases has been on the rise in recent years following two Israeli wars on the blockaded coastal strip. An average of one thousand cancer cases has been recorded annually among Gazans for the last two years. The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli regime\'s use of internationally banned weapons has sharply increased the number of cancer cases. During the 22-day Israeli war at the turn of 2009, Norwegian Doctor Mads Fredrik Gilbert who volunteered at Gaza\'s Shifa hospital said that some victims had traces of depleted uranium in their wounds. The majority of Israeli high-tech weapons contain depleted uranium. Most cancer patients lived in areas that were heavily bombarded by Israeli forces during the last two Israeli wars. Lack of medicines as well as cancer patients\' inability to receive treatment abroad due to closure of crossings by both Israel and the Egyptian military is putting their lives at grave risk. Experts have said that Israeli forces used internationally banned weapons like White Phosphorous and weapons containing depleted uranium against the civilian population of Gaza. Experts say such weapons are carcinogenic.

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.

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.

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.

A number of British MPs want Israel to come clean on its nuclear weapons program and to destroy its nuclear arsenal. The lawmakers said Israel keeps talking about the threat of nuclear weapons in the Middle East while it possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads itself. The MPs expressed their views to Foreign Secretary William Hague in parliament as he was giving a briefing on the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Despite the international community\'s concerns over the years, Israel has refused to acknowledge it has a nuclear arsenal or sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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 Syrian army has seized a weapons and ammunition cache used by foreign-backed militants near the capital Damascus. The arms cache was found in Darayya farms in the Damascus countryside. It includes mortar launchers, machine guns, night vision goggles, and explosive devices. The Syrian army has seized large amounts of weapons from militants across the country, since the fighting began in 2011. Damascus says the militants receive the arms from some Western as well as regional countries namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. The Syrian army is battling out the insurgents to push them out of the cities and other areas. It\'s managed to liberate key regions in recent months.

[20 March 2015] NATO weapons end up in Taliban hands - English

[22 Nov 2012] Israel is use of unconventional weapons in Gaza: acts of terrorism - English

[27 Feb 2013] Britain set to triple spending on nuclear weapons program - English

[01 Mar 2013] Banned Israeli weapons led to cancer rise in Gaza - English

Israeli officials have publicly declared that the Syrian government used Chemical weapons which was followed by statements made by US secretaries of state and defense who said that the assessment was that Sarin gas was indeed used. Syrian officials said this comes after the gains made by the Syrian army, particularly in and near Al-Qusier on the outskirts of Homs. Russia and Iran have both come out strongly against using this as a pretext for military action. Emphasis on how this shows how much Israel wants to get rid of Assad and how much it regards him as an enemy. Will Obama be dragged into a confrontation by Israel and its allies like the NeoCons in Washington even if he will have to face Russia, China and Iran? Or is it that the US shares the opinion that Assad must go and might assign Israel with the task of launching military action? An emphasis as well on the differences between the Syrian case and the Iraqi case because back then it was Dick Cheney and co who were pushing for war and even fabricated intelligence for this purpose. Now in this case it is Israel pointing to weapons of mass destruction trying to push a hesitant Obama administration into war. In this episode of the Middle East Today, we will discuss the Syrian crisis and ask: What the future holds for Syria?

Reports by human rights organizations show that during the past years Israeli forces used drones, internationally banned weapons and other unknown substances during their attacks on the people of Gaza. Banned weapons such as DIME which stand for Dense Inert Metal Explosives were first used against Gaza by Israeli forces in the summer of 2006. DIME munitions result in a high proportion of amputations particularly legs.

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.

[15 Sept 2013]Tehran welcomes Syria decision to join Chemical Weapons Convention - English

[01 Oct 2013] OPCW disarmament team arrives to destroy chemical weapons - English

[06 Oct 2013] The destruction of chemical weapons has got underway in Syria - English

[11 Oct 2013] Chemical weapons watchdog wins this year\'s Nobel peace prize - English

Washington says it will keep its nuclear weapons arsenal to protect its national security.

Syria\'s deputy foreign minister has blasted foreign supporters of insurgency in his country. Faisal Mekdad says the US and France are providing lethal weapons to militants. Mekdad says Saudi Arabia and Israel are playing a lethal role in the conflict. He says Riyadh and Tel Aviv are closely coordinating their actions and funneling cash and weapons to insurgents. He also pointed out that the determination of the Syrian people and army are defusing plots hatched by supporters of the militants.

Syria\'s deputy foreign minister has blasted foreign supporters of insurgency in his country. Faisal Mekdad says the US and France are providing lethal weapons to militants. Mekdad says Saudi Arabia and Israel are playing a lethal role in the conflict. He says Riyadh and Tel Aviv are closely coordinating their actions and funneling cash and weapons to insurgents. He also pointed out that the determination of the Syrian people and army are defusing plots hatched by supporters of the militants.

The US Congress says President Barack Obama\\\'s plans for the country\\\'s nuclear arsenal will cost 355 billion dollars over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office has issued a report saying the expenses will cover the modernization of nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, and nuclear weapons production laboratories. The CBO report also said the cost is nearly one hundred and 50 billion dollars more than the administration\\\'s initial request last year. The US president claims the nuclear modernization plan is needed to boost the security of the US military and give political leaders enough confidence in nuclear talks with other world powers. The new nuclear budget request comes as US officials continue to wrangle over the country\\\'s rising budget deficit.

Police were tipped off that the truck belonging to an aid organization was carrying arms for al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria. But their search of the cargo was prevented by Hatay Governor Jela-lettin Lekesiz, and the vehicle went on its way. Reports say an army post then stopped the truck and found ammunition and weapons onboard. Now the chief provincial public prosecutor is investigating the incident. Turkey is a vocal critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has openly supported the insurgents fighting the government there. Ankara, however, denies arming militants in Turkey\\\'s crisis-hit neighbor. Back in December, local media said that Turkey had shipped 47 tonnes of weapons to insurgents since June.

[15 Apr 2014] US anti-tank weapons turned up in hands of militants in Syria - Engluish

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