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A convoy of inspectors prepares to cross into Syria at the Lebanese border last Tuesday Bilal Hussein/AP/Press Association Images

Process of destroying Syria's chemical weapons now under way

The team charged with the destruction of the weapons began the process this morning, a source in the international mission has said.

A TEAM OF disarmament inspectors has began the process of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons and production facilities, a source in the international mission has told news agency AFP.

The source said members of the team from the UN and The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons “have left for a site where they are beginning verification and destruction.”

“Today is the first day of destruction, in which heavy vehicles are going to run over and thus destroy missile warheads, aerial chemical bombs and mobile and static mixing and filling units,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.

An OPCW official in The Hague said earlier this week that all “expedient methods” would be used to render Syria’s production facilities unusable.

He said the methods could include the use of explosives, sledgehammers, or pouring in concrete.

Details

The team of inspectors arrived in Damascus on Tuesday to begin the process of verifying details of the programme that were handed over by the Syrian government.

“Phase one which is disclosure by the Syrians is ending and we are now moving towards phase two, verification and destruction and disabling,” the mission source said.

The team is in Syria under the terms of a UN resolution that enshrined a US-Russian agreement for President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to turn over its chemical weapons for destruction.

Attack

The deal was hammered out in the wake of an August 21 sarin gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus, which the United States blamed on Assad’s government — a charge it denies.

Washington threatened military action in response to the chemical attack, but a strike was averted after the US-Russia deal was agreed.

Under the UN resolution on the agreement, Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal is to be destroyed by mid-2014.

© AFP, 2013

Read: UN votes to order destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons

Explainer: What are Irish troops doing in Syria?

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    Mute CAPITAINE ADEBAYO
    Favourite CAPITAINE ADEBAYO
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    Feb 11th 2014, 11:02 AM

    Thanks google. Thanks for starting a world where people walk around recording each other. I will never wear these.

    66
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    Mute Jeremy Usbourne
    Favourite Jeremy Usbourne
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    Feb 11th 2014, 10:54 AM

    Should read.

    “Silly Virgin Atlantic press release, amounts to vast amounts of free advertising”

    46
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    Mute Heather Knowles
    Favourite Heather Knowles
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    Feb 11th 2014, 11:21 AM

    Minority Report meets Skynet

    42
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    Mute Tom Keating
    Favourite Tom Keating
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    Feb 11th 2014, 12:32 PM

    Time for infrared necklaces for everyone so you can protect your identity.

    26
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    Mute Barry Doyle
    Favourite Barry Doyle
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    Feb 11th 2014, 11:30 AM

    Welcome to the world of tomorrow

    24
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    Mute Dylan McDonald
    Favourite Dylan McDonald
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    Feb 11th 2014, 1:04 PM

    I’m a tech geek at heart and this technology is really cool BUT people have to be realistic and open there eyes, this is potentially one of the worst things to ever hit the self’s, privacy as we know it will be gone and our kids will never no what it is! Once its gone it will never come back, Scott Barry style

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    Mute bopter
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    Feb 12th 2014, 12:19 AM

    Fyi tech geeks tend to have good grammar and spelling.

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    Mute bandido
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    Feb 11th 2014, 2:19 PM

    The thing I’m dreading most about this technology is women walking down the street behind me checking out my sweet little ass.
    It gives them the capability to perv on me when I’m not even around!

    17
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    Mute Butter bean
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    Feb 11th 2014, 11:49 AM

    Yeah because you can’t walk around recording people on you phone this last ten years.
    Good one Adebayo.

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    Mute Heather Knowles
    Favourite Heather Knowles
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    Feb 11th 2014, 3:36 PM

    Big difference in phone recording and these glasses. A few examples, your on a beach with your toddler and some stranger starts pointing a phone at your child filming them. If your a vigilant parent your going to notice this and one way or another put a stop to it and make other people aware of a potential pervert in your midst. Beach full of people lots wearing glasses any sicko can now do this unnoticed. Burgler scoping out your house standing with phone risk of being seen. Burgler walking slowly along with glasses on no problem. Taking cash out at an ATM using card in shop etc person with glasses good chance they can zoom in on your pin. Seriously dangerous piecof technology in the wrong hands and that’s aside from everyday invasions of privacy.

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    Mute CAPITAINE ADEBAYO
    Favourite CAPITAINE ADEBAYO
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    Feb 11th 2014, 3:44 PM

    Soz, only seeing this now as you didn’t hit reply. Walking around with a phone outstretched pointing in someones face since 2004 isnt something I have seen too much of, in day to day life, like transactions at a till etc but hey maybe I haven’t been paying attention.

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    Mute Pádraig Reardon
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    Feb 11th 2014, 5:20 PM

    PIN numbers are so last year love! We have fingerprint scanners here in Brazil now no need for a PIN number so don’t be worrying!

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    Mute Pádraig Reardon
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    Feb 11th 2014, 5:21 PM

    *On all ATM machines

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Feb 11th 2014, 12:44 PM

    I foresee (sorry!) terrible eye problems down the line if these become the norm.

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    Mute Julian King
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    Feb 11th 2014, 12:27 PM

    I remember these from ‘Beyond 2000′!

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Feb 11th 2014, 11:56 AM

    Welcome to the future. Bare in mind that the airlines have been the test bed for realtime transactions and date analysis since the 1960′s.

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Feb 12th 2014, 10:26 AM

    I like Virgin Atlantic. I flew here via London from SFO. Treated like a human being. Wonderful staff. Comfortable seats (and I’m 6’4″, 210lbs). The other airlines should pay attention to VA. They know how to treat people.
    The glasses? Couldn’t care less. The terminal is plastered with cameras anyway.

    1
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