According to an official announcement by the UN Security Council, more than 60% of Syria’s chemical weapons have already been destroyed. The destruction of the chemicals takes place in international waters off the coast of Crete, between Greece, Italy and Malta, causing widespread protests among local authorities of Crete and Greek residents. Scientists have expressed serious concerns about the possibility of an accident that would turn the entire sea area into a dead zone. According to the UN Security Council, neutralization of the chemicals will be completed by the end of the week. Syria agreed to surrender its chemical arsenal last year when the US threatened missile attacks in retaliation for a chemical attack on a suburb of Damascus which is believed to have killed more than 1,000 people. In early July, 600 metric tons of Syria’s most toxic chemicals were transferred onto the US cargo vessel MV Cape Ray in the Italian port of Gioia Tauro. The ship later moved into international waters and began the two-month process of destroying the chemicals. Syria’s chemical arsenal includes sarin nerve gas and mustard gas. After the destruction, hazardous byproducts will be transferred to special installations in Germany and Finland for further processing.
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