Syria Ships First Batch of Chemical Weapons, Zoabi: Al-Assad to Remain President

Local Editor

Syria has started moving chemical weapons materials out of the country in the most crucial phase of an internationally backed disarmament program that has been delayed by war and technical problems.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Tuesday that "priority chemical materials" were transported to the port of Lattakia and onto a Danish vessel which was now sailing towards international waters.

"The vessel has been accompanied by naval escorts provided by Denmark and Norway, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic," a statement said. "It will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port."
This comes as Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoabi stressed that anyone expecting Bashar-al-Assad to hand over keys to Damascus at Geneva talks 'might as well not go'.

"Syria's Bashar al-Assad will remain president and lead any transition agreed upon in Geneva peace talks planned for next month," Zoabi stated during a press conference in Damascus.
He further added: "If anyone thinks we are going to Geneva 2 to hand the keys to Damascus over to the opposition, then he might as well not go."

"The decision rests with President al-Assad. He will lead the period of transition, if there is one. He is the leader of Syria... And he will remain the president of Syria."

The Syrian official also stated that Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of the opposition militiamen, should be excluded from the peace conference.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team