U.S. ‘concerned’ by Syria chemical weapons delay

  The United States said on Thursday expressed concern at Syrian government’s slow efforts to transport chemical weapons to the port of Latakia after a report said that less than 5 percent of the arsenal had been delivered and that work to destroy the weapons has fallen behind schedule.

“I do not know what the Syrian government's motives are -- if this is incompetence -- or why they are behind in delivering these materials,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in the Polish capital, adding “they need to fix this.”

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One: “It is the Assad regime's responsibility to transport those chemicals to facilitate removal. We expect them to meet their obligation to do so.”

Under a timeline drawn up last year, the most toxic chemicals in Syria's 1,300-metric-ton stockpile were to have been removed from the country by Dec. 31, but that deadline was missed due to poor security in war-torn Syria and other factors.

So far, just two small consignments of chemicals have been shipped out. One of the shipments came after Uzumcu's note was written, Associated Press reported.

Uzumcu said in the note that Syria had informed him of “certain security threats,” but insists it is committed to removing the chemicals “as soon as possible.” He did not elaborate on the nature of the threats.

An American ship, the MV Cape Ray, is on its way to the Mediterranean Sea to pick up the most toxic chemicals in Syria's stockpile, including mustard gas and raw materials for making sarin nerve agent.

The Cape Ray is equipped with two machines called Field Deployable Hydrolysis Systems that will mix the Syrian chemicals with water and a cocktail of other chemicals in a titanium reactor to render them inert.

 A Danish frigate, which is part of a joint Danish-Norwegian task force that will assist in overseeing the transportation of lethal chemical agents out of Syria, docks at Limassol port, Dec.14, 2013. (Reuters)

Danish and Norwegian cargo ships are picking up the Syrian chemicals from Latakia port and will transfer them to the Cape Ray in the Italian port of Gioia Tauro.

The OPCW is examining tenders from 14 private commercial chemical destruction companies bidding to eliminate less-toxic Syrian chemicals and waste generated by the Cape Ray. Germany also has said it will incinerate 370 tons of waste created when the Cape Ray neutralizes Syrian mustard gas.

But while the OPCW's preparations continue, the success of the mission is now largely dependent on Syria getting its chemicals to Latakia in the midst of a devastating civil war now in its third year.