US, Russia to Meet on How to Disarm Syria on Chemical Weapons

The US secretary of state John Kerry is set to meet Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva while the United Nations (UN) formulates an international plan to disarm the Syrian government of its chemical weapons stockpile.

According to Al Jazeera, it understands that Lavrov and Kerry will discuss on efforts to arrive an agreement over a UN resolution on the issue, as well as the practicalities of finding, removing and destroying chemical stockpiles which more than 100,000 people have already died, Al Jazeera.net said on Thursday.

The two diplomats are, however, expected to clash on whether a UN resolution should contain the threat of force- something to which Russia is deeply opposed.

Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from the UN in New York, said he understood both ministers would be accompanied by chemical weapons experts at the said meeting, in the Swiss city of Geneva, Al Jazeera.net reports.

The online news added the said meeting came after the day the permanent members of the Security Council – the US, UK, China, Russia and France – met to discuss the content of draft resolutions proposed by Russia and France. Accordingly, the discussion “helped to pave the way for tomorrow’s meeting” in Geneva, one council diplomat has told the a news agency, but an agreement was not reached, Al Jazeera.net said.

France’s draft resolution states that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces should be condemned for their use of chemical weapons on August 21 in Damascus, and threatens force if they do not comply with disarmament, Al Jazeera added.

Accordingly, Russia insists there is no evidence to prove Assad had used chemical weapons, and does not want any threat of force in a resolution.

Al Jazeera’s Bays has said the French resolution was highly contentious, but was “simply the negotiating position of the West, things now move to Geneva”.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera has been told that UN chemical weapons inspectors will report their findings on the chemical attacks to the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, early next week, Al Jazeera.net reported.

US President Barack Obama has threatened military action last week against Syrian army targets over the chemical attack, and sought congressional support.

On Wednesday, Obama announced that he had asked the US Congress to postpone a vote on authorizing force in order to explore the hastily proposed Russian plan to decommission Assad’s chemical weapons, Al Jazeera.net said.

Obama has said that he still retained the right to order military strikes, adding: “I’ve ordered our military to maintain their current posture … to respond if diplomacy fails,” Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported on Thursday that CIA operatives had begun funelling weapons and equipment to rebel fighters in the last fortnight, under a plan signed off by the president earlier this year, Al Jazeera.net reported.

Source: Al Jazeera.net