Chemical weapons watchdog chief says OPCW member states 'can and must' help Syria disarmament

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The chief of the global chemical weapons watchdog says member states of the organization "can and must" help in the high-stakes mission to rid Syria of its toxic agents stockpile.

Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Uzumcu says packing materials that will be used to transport weapons and chemicals out of Syria have already arrived in Lebanon and will be moved on to Damascus as the unprecedented mission gathers pace.

The U.N.-OPCW mission aims to have all weaponized chemicals and Syria's most dangerous precursor chemicals out of the country by Dec. 31.

In a statement released Wednesday, the OPCW says the plan to ship Syria's chemical arsenal out of the country "continues to pose challenges due to the security situation on the ground."