Syria Launches US-Backed Chemical Disarmament Plan

Syria, under its new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has launched a US-backed plan to eliminate legacy chemical weapons used by the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime. An international taskforce, supported by the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada, and France, will work under the supervision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to track down and destroy remaining elements of the program. Up to 100 sites need inspection, a process expected to be time-consuming and costly. This initiative marks a significant change in Syria's stance on chemical weapons, moving from concealment to active eradication, despite regional conflicts like the US-Israeli war on Iran posing challenges to the mission's timing.