60% of syria chemicals destroyed by U.S

The United States has informed the UN Security
Council that it has neutralised about 60 percent of
Syria 's most toxic chemicals.
Mark Lyall Grant , the British ambassador to the UN
and the current president of the Security Council ,
said that the US made the report after a video -
conference briefing by Sigrid Kaag, who heads the
international effort to rid Syria of its chemical
weapons .
He said Kaag reported that a meeting was held in
Beirut on earlier Tuesday to work out methods to
destroy the 12 chemical production facilities that
Syria has declared . She said it will take about six
months to complete .
Lyall Grant said he reported to the closed council
meeting that Britain will complete its destruction of
Syrian chemical precursors intended for the
production of chemical weapons and hydrochloric
acid "in the course of this week ."
" So, good progress on the destruction of chemicals
outside Syria ," he said.
Syria agreed to surrender its chemical arsenal last
year when the US threatened missile strikes in
retaliation for a chemical attack on a rebel- held
suburb of Damascus . The attack is believed to have
killed more than 1 ,000 people .
In early July , some 600 metric tons of Syria 's most
toxic chemicals were transferred onto the US cargo
vessel MV Cape Ray in the Italian port of Gioia Tauro.
The ship moved into international waters and began
the two - month process of destroying the chemicals.
New allegations
Lyall Grant said the US informed the council that
once it has neutralised all the chemicals, the residue
will be sent to Germany and Finland for final
disposal.
He said Kaag , who heads the joint mission of the
United Nations and the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons , also briefed the
council on the ongoing discussions about
discrepancies in the Syrian government's initial
declaration of its chemical weapons and precursor
chemicals.
Kaag said a lot of technical questions need to be
addressed , and an OPCW team plans a further visit
to Damascus in September, Lyall Grant told
journalists .
The material handed over by Syria included mustard
gas and precursors for the nerve gas sarin . But
questions remain over whether Syrian President
Bashar al - Assad is hiding undeclared poison gases
or attacking rebels with chlorine - a toxic industrial
gas that is not specifically classified as a chemical
weapon.
Lyall Grant said council members raised questions
about allegations of further use of chlorine- based
explosive devices in recent weeks.