(New York Times) William J. Broad and C.J. Chivers - Syria's chemical weapons complex includes factories, bunkers, storage depots and thousands of munitions, all of which would have to be inspected and secured. But monitoring and securing unconventional weapons have proved challenging in places like Iraq, North Korea and Iran - even in peacetime. "I'm very concerned about the fine print," said Dr. Amy E. Smithson, an expert on chemical weapons at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, D.C. "It's a gargantuan task for the inspectors to mothball production, install padlocks, inventory the bulk agent as well as the munitions. Then a lot of it has to be destroyed - in a war zone." "What I'm saying is, 'Beware of this deal,'" Dr. Smithson added. "It's deceptively attractive." Experts also said large numbers of foreign troops would almost certainly be needed to safeguard inspectors working in the midst of the civil war.
2013-09-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive