Syrian FM: Syria will sign chemical ban, open storage sites

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Syria: We accept Russian chemical weapons proposal The Syrian government has accepted a Russian proposal to turn over its chemical weapons to international control to avoid a military confrontation with the United States, Syria's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Resolution aimed at dismantling Syria%27s chemical weapons

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Syria's foreign minister said Tuesday his country is ready to sign an international agreement banning chemical weapons and pledged to open its storage sites and provide full disclosure immediately.

"We fully support Russia's initiative concerning chemical weapons in Syria, and we are ready to cooperate. As a part of the plan, we intend to join the Chemical Weapons Convention," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in an interview with Lebanon-based Al-Maydeen TV.

He said Syria was "ready to fulfill our obligations" under the terms of the treaty, including providing information about Syria's chemical weapons.

"We will open our storage sites, and cease production. We are ready to open these facilities to Russia, other countries and the United Nations," Muallem said in the interview.

He added: "We intend to give up chemical weapons altogether."

The report on the interview was carried by the Associated Press and RIA Novosti.

The last development comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin told RT.com that an agreement in which Syria would turn over its chemical weapons to international control would only work if the United States and its allies renounce the use of force against Damascus.

Muallem has been in Moscow for talks with Russian officials about the chemical weapons crisis.

Syria is one of only five countries that has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention that was drawn up in 1993. The others are North Korea, Angola, Egypt and South Sudan.

The arms control agreement bans the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.

Muallem's pledge to sign the agreement and open Syria's storage sites comes amid a flurry of diplomatic moves around a Russian proposal that Syria place its chemical arms under international control.

Syria has agreed to the proposal, and France has proposed a related resolution for the United Nations.

Putin acknowledged that he had discussed such a possibility with President Obama on the sidelines of the G-20 summit last week in St. Petersburg, Russia.

It was agreed, Putin said, "to instruct Secretary of State (John Kerry) and Foreign Minister (Sergey Lavrov) to get in touch" and "try to move this idea forward."

Putin fleshed out the proposal Tuesday, saying it would only work if Washington called off any strike against Damascus.

"Certainly, this is all reasonable, it will function and will work out, only if the U.S. and those who support it on this issue pledge to renounce the use of force, because it is difficult to make any country – Syria or any other country in the world – to unilaterally disarm if there is military action against it under consideration," Putin said Tuesday.

Obama has threatened military action against Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in August that killed more than 1,400 people in a Damascus suburb. Syria has denied using chemical weapons.

Obama, who will address the nation Tuesday night, spoke with the leaders of France and the United Kingdom, and agreed to explore the Russian proposal, senior White House officials said.

He was also discussing the issue on Capitol Hill.

In other developments:

• France said it would put a resolution before the U.N. Security Council appealing to Syria to make public details of its chemical weapons program.

• The Arab League said it backs the Russian initiative calling on Syria to puts it chemical weapons under international control.

• Secretary of State Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed cautious support for the proposal, but said it must not be used as a diplomatic stalling tactic.

Foreign Minister Muallem said Damascus accepted the Russian initiative to "derail the U.S. aggression."

The report was initially carried by the Russian news agency Interfax.

Meanwhile, Lavrov said that Russia is now working with Syria to prepare a detailed plan of action, which will be presented shortly.

He said Moscow will then be ready to finalize the plan together with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.



The announcement by France for a resolution at the Security Council was made in Paris by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

It was not immediately clear whether the terms of an agreement accepted by Syria would track with the French proposal, but it was a sign of further diplomatic progress on the issue.

Fabius said the terms of the resolution will call for an "extremely serious" response if Syria were to violate the conditions set by the resolution. He said the process — under Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter — will start later Tuesday.

France is a permanent member of the Security Council. The other permanent members are the United States, United Kingdom, China and Russia. Permanent members have the power to veto resolutions.

Both Kerry and Hagel addressed the proposal Tuesday in a joint appearance before a House committee.

Kerry said the U.S.has made it clear "this can't become a process of delay and avoidance."

The U.S. is willing to wait, he said, "but we not waiting for long. The Security Council can't be allowed to become a debating society."

Hagel also expressed hope that the option might be a solution to the crisis, but added: "We must be very clear-eyed and insure that it is not a stalling tactic by Syria and its Russian patrons."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Tuesday that he is "very skeptical" of the Russian proposal but says the best test would be to follow any Syrian acceptance by putting inspectors on the ground immediately to get the chemical weapons under control.

McCain, who has called for more robust support for Syrian rebels, told CBS This Morning that as far as Congress is concern "we have to see how this plays out."

"Again, put me down as extremely skeptical, but to no pursue this option would be a mistake," he said.

McCain, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services committee and member of the Foreign Relations committee, was in the Middle East last month to meet with leaders of the Syrian rebel groups.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard in London, and the Associated Press