The Guardian reports: Syria’s chemical weapon arsenal is to be taken cross-country in Russian armoured trucks guarded by Syrian government troops and tracked by American satellite navigation equipment on its way to the Mediterranean coast.

The unprecedented and precarious two-week operation will take the cargo – 500 tonnes of chemical components of sarin and VX nerve agents and canisters of mustard gas – from 12 sites around the country to the port of Latakia, where they will be loaded onto Danish and Norwegian cargo ships.

China will provide surveillance cameras and ambulances on stand-by in case of any accidents, while Finland has offered to provide its own emergency response teams.

The ships will sail under Danish and Norwegian naval escort to an unnamed Italian port to be transferred to a US vessel, the Cape Ray, which will be carrying two chemical reactor chambers to neutralise the chemical weapons while at sea. On-board tankerswill store the by-products for later incineration. [Continue reading…]