Current and former members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said destroying Syria's stockpile is a "historic" mission as its team of inspectors began their work on the ground.
For the first time, the OPCW team is operating in a war zone as violent clashes continue around Damascus and elsewhere across the country.
鈥淭he OPCW is a very competent organization, they have conducted inspections across the world for some 16 years now, but they鈥檝e never had to operate in the middle of a conflict,鈥� Faiza Patel, a former senior policy advisor for the group, told CTV鈥檚 Canada AM on Oct. 2.
鈥淚n fact, it鈥檚 not just historic for the OPCW; it鈥檚 historic for any inspection team.鈥�
UN Security Council resolution 2118 calls for the destruction of Syria鈥檚 chemical weapons stockpile by mid-2014, giving the inspectors approximately nine months to find and dismantle an estimated 1,000 tons of chemical weapons.
Before the end of their mission, the inspectors intend to visit about 45 chemical weapons facilities declared by the Syrian government.
鈥�(It鈥檚) the most difficult job we鈥檝e ever taken on, by far,鈥� OPCW spokesperson Michael Luhan told Canada AM.
鈥淭he stockpile of this size would normally take years to destroy.鈥�
Patel said the UN deadline is 鈥渧ery, very challenging,鈥� but added that destroying certain equipment and storage facilities can be relatively easy.
鈥淒estroying those is a pretty low-tech venture: you can roll tanks over some of them, you can smash some of them, you can mutilate machineries,鈥� she said.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 going to be far more difficult is how you actually deal with the toxic payload that these weapons contain and how those are going to be destroyed.鈥�
Luhan said the inspectors have a number of 鈥渢echnological options鈥� as they fan out across the country.
In some cases, weapons can be incinerated and mobile detonation chambers can also be used, he said.
But the first task involves destroying chemical weapons production facilities, Luhan said, thereby stopping any further production of chemical agents like sarin, a lethal gas that has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Syrian adults and children.
Luhan said the inspectors volunteered for the mission in Syria, and are getting additional combat pay and insurance to cover the increased risks.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 sign up to the OPCW to work in a war zone,鈥� he said, stressing that 鈥渟afety and security of our inspectors is our top, top priority here.鈥�
Luhan said the Syrian government is responsible for ensuring 鈥渁 permissive environment鈥� for the inspectors, but there are no illusions that Syria can guarantee safety in many parts of the country.
That鈥檚 why the OPCW will depend on the United Nations to communicate with various rebel groups and negotiate access to certain sites, Luhan said.
So far, he said, the Syrian government has been co-operative.
