The Syrian Crisis

[SajeevJino]

A Look at the Massive Ship Will Destroy Syria's Chemical Weapons​

To neutralize the most dangerous chemicals stockpiled by Syria in a weapons program that brought global attention to a violent civil war, the international community will rely on a massive ship currently docked in Portsmouth, Va.: the MV (motor vessel) Cape Ray, a transport and humanitarian-response vessel owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration.

The plan, announced in November by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and agreed to by Syria, calls for President Bashar al-Assad's regime to move Syria's most dangerous chemical-weapons components — already mixed mustard gas in liquid form, and a precursor to sarin gas — to the port of Latakia and out of the country, onto Norwegian and Danish ships. That process is behind schedule due to fighting in Syria.

Italy has offered to host the transfer of chemical components to the Cape Ray at one of its ports, but the details have not been worked out. The OPCW has set a goal of March 31 for the destruction of these chemicals, and June 30 for all of Syria's chemicals.

The Cape Ray is part of a reserve fleet that helps surge military equipment into war zones when needed. The Cape Ray has deployed tanks, humvees, helicopters, and other vehicles to Iraq multiple times. It conducts humanitarian response to natural disasters and has responded to Haiti's earthquake, and hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Sandy.

It is about 650 feet long, has five decks, and will carry 35 sailors to operate the ship, plus 64 technical crew involved with the chemical destruction (a "handful" of whom will actually handle the chemicals and operate the machinery to destroy them, according to the top engineer), and an unknown number of U.S. military personnel.

It's currently being outfitted with two Field-Deployable Hydrolysis Systems (FDHS), which the Pentagon began procuring in February 2013, knowing it might need a way to destroy Syrian chemical-weapons components in the field.

Seven hundred metric tons of Syria's most dangerous chemical-weapons components will be loaded onto the Cape Ray and destroyed over a 90-day mission, with the two FDHS units running continuously. Syria's chemicals will be stored on decks above and below the main deck where they're being destroyed.

The result of this destruction will be 1.5 million gallons of hazardous waste, which a top engineer likened to Drano, that will not be usable for chemical-weapons production, but nonetheless will need to be disposed of at a waste facility of some kind

The Cape Ray is docked at a private shipyard in Portsmouth, alongside two other Maritime Administration vessels, and is expected to deploy within the next two weeks, Kendall said. The ship's captain, Rick Jordan, said he has not yet received orders for departure, where the chemicals will be transferred aboard, or where at sea they're to be destroyed.

A Look at the Massive Ship Will Destroy Syria’s Chemical Weapons - ABC News

 

[SajeevJino]

Syria chemical weapons: First consignment leaves Latakia​

The first consignment of Syrian chemical weapons materials has left the country on a Danish ship.

The vessel left the northern Syrian port of Latakia on Tuesday, escorted by Russian and Chinese warships.

Removing the most dangerous chemicals is the first step of a UN-backed deal to eliminate Syria's chemical arsenal.

A previous bid to collect the materials was aborted after Syrian officials failed to deliver the toxic chemicals to the collection point in Latakia.

The hazardous cargo is due to be taken to Italy, where it will be loaded onto a US Navy ship and shipped to international waters for destruction in a specially created titanium tank on board.

The mission is being run jointly by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).


1. The Syrian authorities are responsible for packing and safely transporting the chemical weapons from 12 sites across the country to the port of Latakia. Russia has supplied large-capacity and armoured lorries, while the US has sent container drums and GPS locators.


2. Russia will provide security for loading operations at Latakia, for which the US has supplied loading, transportation and decontamination equipment. China has sent 10 ambulances and surveillance cameras, and Finland an emergency response team in case of accidents.



3. Denmark and Norway are providing cargo ships and military escorts to take the chemicals to an as yet unnamed port in Italy. Russian and China will also provide naval escorts.


4. In Italy, the "most critical" chemical agents will be loaded onto the US Maritime Administration cargo ship, MV Cape Ray, to be destroyed by hydrolysis in international waters. Less-toxic chemicals will be shipped by Norwegian and Danish vessels for disposal at commercial facilities.

BBC News - Syria chemical weapons: First consignment leaves Latakia

 

[nrupatunga]

Iran not invited to Syria peace talks

Tehran brushes off US offer of possible sideline role in Geneva 2 conference, calling it a matter of "honour".

Invitations to the talks are subject to approval by the initiating states, Russia and the US, which have not yet agreed on Iran's role in the talks.

Haq said the UN hopes that can be resolved at a January 13 meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Meanwhile, Tehran on Monday brushed aside a US offer of a sideline role in the so-called Geneva 2 talks, suggesting such an arrangement would not respect the country's "honour."

The US has objected to Iran's participation because Tehran has not publicly endorsed the call for a transnational government in Syria, and is backing militias propping up the regime.

About two dozen nations plan to send foreign ministers to Geneva 2, and Syria's warring factions have also been invited.

President Bashar al-Assad's government has said the president will not surrender power and may run again in elections due later this year, even as the death toll from Syria's three-year-old civil war surpasses 100,000.

The main opposition bloc, the Syrian National Coalition, has yet to decide on whether to participate in the talks.

Among 2 dozen nations, is india even there?? Everyone wants to restrict india within sub-continent. Even here, no one cares.

 

[Haman10]

Iran not invited to Syria peace talks
Among 2 dozen nations, is india even there?? Everyone wants to restrict india within sub-continent. Even here, no one cares.

what talks ? thats a childish game that us started and russia is unfortunately going through with it !

every single country in that conference is pro-terrorist front !!! take CANADA for example !!! how the fvck canada can help ? ?

what help can canada offer that india with hell much more influence in the region cant ?

iran was not invited to the conference so be sure nothings gonna come out of it ..... its just a childish game .....

 

[nrupatunga]

what talks ? thats a childish game that us started and russia is unfortunately going through with it !

every single country in that conference is pro-terrorist front !!! take CANADA for example !!! how the fvck canada can help ? ?

what help can canada offer that india with hell much more influence in the region cant ?

iran was not invited to the conference so be sure nothings gonna come out of it ..... its just a childish game .....

So what else can the international community do?? Everyone knows that its a stalemate. Assad can't force out all the people which saudi& co are sending. Saudis have all the time and money to throw into syria, whereas assad is wholly banking on you(iran) and russia and maybe at diplomatic level even china. How long can russia can't support assad with money/arms?? How long can iran(itself under sanctions) support syrian regime??

Also this conflict is affecting entire west asia(esp iraq). Talks is the only option left, as force has failed to do the job. However in effective it may be. Also everyone knows that this is not a one-time conference but process of talks has be initiated now.

 

[Haman10]

So what else can the international community do?? Everyone knows that its a stalemate. Assad can't force out all the people which saudi& co are sending. Saudis have all the time and money to throw into syria, whereas assad is wholly banking on you(iran) and russia and maybe at diplomatic level even china. How long can russia can't support assad with money/arms?? How long can iran(itself under sanctions) support syrian regime??

Also this conflict is affecting entire west asia(esp iraq). Talks is the only option left, as force has failed to do the job. However in effective it may be. Also everyone knows that this is not a one-time conference but process of talks has be initiated now.

you see brother , i dont consider USA as the international community . arent iran and india members of this international community ?

i just ask u a question brother which i asked before : how can canada help the syrian crisis ? and how cant india help considering the fact that india has a zillion times more influence in the region ?

actually the syrian crisis is also helping the region to get rid of all saudi terrorists too !! imagine till now the SAA has taken out tens of thousands of saudi terrorists !!

al-qaeda is getting the hardest hits it has ever taken !! so this is what usa had planned :

the continuation of syrian crisis helps me to waeken both iran and syria . and also take out al-qaeda !!

thats why i say us doesnt care about syria at all and they seek to prolong the war . thats why i say the talks is going to fail

 

[amoy]

@Haman10 I echo the talks would end up another posturing at best without Iran a regional heavyweight. furthermore who on earth can represent ramified Syrian rebel factions? Saudi insists the talk lead to ousting Assad, as is unacceptable. with continuous external support rebels can fight on and on thats tragic for Syrians.

Sent from my 5910 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Haman10]

@Haman10 I echo the talks would end up another posturing at best without Iran a regional heavyweight. furthermore who on earth can represent ramified Syrian rebel factions? Saudi insists the talk lead to ousting Assad, as is unacceptable. with continuous external support rebels can fight on and on thats tragic for Syrians.

i second that

 

[nrupatunga]

@Haman10 Talks may not workout, ok fine. But is force working?? Somewhere, sometime shouldn't the stakeholders sit down and sort it out?? How long should syrians in specific and region in general suffer?

I am all for working out a solution either by talks or force

 

[Haman10]

@Haman10 Talks may not workout, ok fine. But is force working?? Somewhere, sometime shouldn't the stakeholders sit down and sort it out?? How long should syrians in specific and region in general suffer?

I am all for working out a solution either by talks or force

force is not working either , the only thing force had done is destroying syria .....

but here is what everyone wants : 1- AQ be taken out 2-opposition and govt. sit and talk abt their differences my they reach a diplomatic solution .
the only way this could all end is only and only a syrian - syrian solution .....

but can anyone stop al-qhaeda ? i'm not sure about that ....... so this is my prediction (although i dont favor it) :

the war will continue till AQ is out .

 

[nrupatunga]

the war will continue till AQ is out .

But as long as saudis want, AQ will be in picture. So unless syria and others tackle the root cause this will continue

 

[SajeevJino]

what talks ? thats a childish game that us started and russia is unfortunately going through with it !

every single country in that conference is pro-terrorist front !!! take CANADA for example !!! how the fvck canada can help ? ?

what help can canada offer that india with hell much more influence in the region cant ?

iran was not invited to the conference so be sure nothings gonna come out of it ..... its just a childish game .....

You are on the Points ..Talking with pol leaders means A Childish Game

So simple same as Iran Nuclear Talks

 

[SajeevJino]

you see brother , i dont consider USA as the international community . arent iran and india members of this international community ?

i just ask u a question brother which i asked before : how can canada help the syrian crisis ? and how cant india help considering the fact that india has a zillion times more influence in the region ?

actually the syrian crisis is also helping the region to get rid of all saudi terrorists too !! imagine till now the SAA has taken out tens of thousands of saudi terrorists !!

al-qaeda is getting the hardest hits it has ever taken !! so this is what usa had planned :

the continuation of syrian crisis helps me to waeken both iran and syria . and also take out al-qaeda !!

thats why i say us doesnt care about syria at all and they seek to prolong the war . thats why i say the talks is going to fail

The US and West had no intention on their Civil war ..Their Only aim is to be Remove the Stockpiles of Chemical armaments ,,They achieved their Goal and the Game is still on


Think why most of the nation supporting this Campaign Led by US ..

 

[SajeevJino]

@Haman10 Talks may not workout, ok fine. But is force working?? Somewhere, sometime shouldn't the stakeholders sit down and sort it out?? How long should syrians in specific and region in general suffer?

I am all for working out a solution either by talks or force

we can do the same in Syria ..from Libya to Chad

 

[SajeevJino]

force is not working either , the only thing force had done is destroying syria .....

but here is what everyone wants : 1- AQ be taken out 2-opposition and govt. sit and talk abt their differences my they reach a diplomatic solution .
the only way this could all end is only and only a syrian - syrian solution .....

but can anyone stop al-qhaeda ? i'm not sure about that ....... so this is my prediction (although i dont favor it) :

the war will continue till AQ is out .

Do you Believe if AQ can pissed out in Syria is the end of Fighting in their Land ..You know who was the Commander of FSA the Ex Syrian Brigg General and A Colonel was they are from AQ or Thousands of Syrian forces turned to be FSA

The Answer is Elimination of Assad is the only option to stop the war Temporary

 

[nrupatunga]

The Answer is Elimination of Assad is the only option to stop the war Temporary

Why do you feel, removal of assad is only temporary?? So what is final solution as per you??

 

[SajeevJino]

Why do you feel, removal of assad is only temporary?? So what is final solution as per you??

You Beleive these Peoples are accept any solution atleast for a year ..Look out Iraq and Afghan

These Peoples Never Stops ..we should give them a Doss for regular interval to keep them Calm

 

[Haman10]

Do you Believe if AQ can pissed out in Syria is the end of Fighting in their Land ..You know who was the Commander of FSA the Ex Syrian Brigg General and A Colonel was they are from AQ or Thousands of Syrian forces turned to be FSA

The Answer is Elimination of Assad is the only option to stop the war Temporary

only in your dreams man !! till there is iran , there is free syria which doesnt include AQ in it .....

so go on and support AQ however you like

we can do the same in Syria ..from Libya to Chad

who is we ? u mean israel ?

lol , israel is not even in the equation .......

 

[SajeevJino]

only in your dreams man !! till there is iran , there is free syria which doesnt include AQ in it .....

so go on and support AQ however you like

I mean not only the AQ ..I means the FSA includes several thousands of Syrian Forces , AQ and Tunisian Pop girls

who is we ? u mean israel ?

lol , israel is not even in the equation .......

Nope The world Community who does something in Middle east and Africa

 

[nrupatunga]

Kerry 'confident' Syrian opposition groups will attend peace talks

"Personally, I'm confident that the Syria opposition will come to Geneva," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris with his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah.

The Western-backed Syrian National Coalition — a shaky coalition of opposition groups that has been plagued by internal bickering — is set to decide on January 17 whether it will make an appearance at the January 22 talks.

Meanwhile, a group tied to al Qaeda recaptured swaths of its stronghold in the northeast city of Raqqa on Sunday, activists say, undermining rival rebel groups.

Bloody clashes between the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and rival Islamists and more moderate rebels have killed hundreds over the last 10 days, rocking the extremist militant group headed by foreign jidahists.