World press on Syria's chemical weapons (October 31, 2013)

"Syria's chemical weapons production facilities destroyed, says watchdog" is an article published today by the Guardian. "Syria has destroyed all of its declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities, meeting a key deadline in an ambitious disarmament programme, the international chemical weapons watchdog said in a document seen by Reuters," the article reads."Under a Russian-American-brokered deal, Damascus agreed to destroy all its chemical weapons after Washington threatened to use force in response to the killing of hundreds of people in a sarin attack on the outskirts of Damascus on 21 August. It was the world's deadliest chemical weapons incident since Saddam Hussein's forces used poison gas against the Kurdish town of Halabja 25 years ago. The United States and its allies blamed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's forces for the attack and several earlier incidents. Assad has rejected the charge, blaming rebel brigades."
"The next deadline is 15 November, by when the OPCW and Syria must agree to a detailed plan of destruction, including how and where to destroy more than 1,000 metric tonnes of toxic agents and munitions. Ralf Trapp, an independent chemical weapons disarmament specialist, said the destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities was a "major milestone" in the effort to eliminate the country's chemical weapons."
"Syria has destroyed chemical weapons facilities, international inspectors say" is an article published today by the Washington Post."The declaration is a milestone in an unusual international undertaking that aims to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal by the middle of next year, a far faster time frame than comparable efforts in other countries — and one that is being implemented in the middle of a brutal civil war," the article reads."The Hague-based organization is “satisfied that it has verified — and seen destroyed — all of Syria’s declared critical production and mixing/filling equipment,” the statement said."