Chemical weapons watchdog OPCW says its inspectors have checked 11 out of 20 sites identified by Syria; Recent US government shutdown cost the US Defense Department at least $600 million in lost productivity
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    • (OCTOBER 14-20)

    According to reports, the world’s chemical weapons watchdog, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has said that its inspectors have checked 11 out of 20 sites identified by Syria as it works to eliminate Syria’s banned weapons. “The OPCW mission has now conducted verification activities at a total of 11 sites that are identified by Syria’s disclosure,” the Hague-based Organisation said. The inspectors of the chemical watchdog, which last week was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize arrived in Syria two weeks ago. The OPCW and the United Nations now have about 60 experts working in Syria to eradicate chemical weapons, around a month after the OPCW accepted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s application to join the Chemical Weapons Convention amid fear of a possible Western military strike. 1
    Meanwhile, reports say that the recent US government shutdown cost the US Defense Department at least $600 million in lost productivity. Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale has said, “There were a number of other costs where I can't put a number on them… I can't quantify those, but it's at least the $600 million to start with in essentially lost productivity.” However, Hale is hopeful and said that “we will be able to catch up reasonably quickly.” 2

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