Assad: Syria to offer data on chemical weapons

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

BEIRUT (AP) — President Bashar Assad says Syria will start submitting data on its chemical weapons stockpile a month after signing the convention banning such weapons.

Assad says this is the "standard process" and his country will follow it.

He made the comment in an interview with Russia's Rossiya-24 TV. The full interview will be broadcast later Thursday.

Assad also said that the process is "two-sided" and suggested it will only work if the U.S. halts its threats of military action against Syria.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/syrian-rebels-blast-russian-offer-chemical-arms

[Bosonic]

1. US must stop arming rebels for chem weapons plan to work: Assad

(AFP) - President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday Washington must stop arming rebels and stop threatening military force if it wanted a plan for Syria to hand over chemical weapons to work.

"When we see that the United States truly desires stability in our region and stops threatening and seeking to invade, as well as stops arms supplies to terrorists then we can believe that we can follow through with the necessary processes," he told Russian television, adding that Washington should dispense with the "politics of threats."

But he also signalled that he was willing to comply with international pressure. "Syria will be sending an appeal to the UN and the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in a few days, which will have technical documents necessary to sign the agreement," he added in translated remarks.

http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/us-must-stop-arming-rebels-chem-weapons-plan-161126850.html

[Bosonic]

2. Syria sends chemical treaty documents to UN: spokesman

(AFP) - The United Nations said Thursday it has received documents from the Syrian government seeking to join the international convention banning chemical weapons.

"In the past few hours we have received a document from the government of Syria which is being translated," said a UN spokesman Farhan Haq. He said it was "an accession document" for the chemical convention.

http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/syria-sends-chemical-treaty-documents-un-spokesman-165401171.html

[karynnj]

3. Will start in one month?

Why would it take one month to START - and that is from when they sign. Note that this does not even say how much they would disclose in one month.

I understand why there needs to be push back to get something faster - especially as he is not even speaking of how long it would be before the inventory is handed over completely -- and that is obviously before needed before a plan to eliminate them can be designed.

I expect that this was not an offer Assad expects will be accepted -- just as few expect their first extreme low ball offer on a house will be accepted as is. I suspect that the US (and even Russia) will have to welcome the direction - while arguing it is not good enough.