Chemical ships heading back to Cyprus
Ships participating in the disarmament of Syria’s chemical weapons have had to turn back en route to the country.
Bad weather, shifting battle lines and road closures are being blamed for the delay.
An official from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said security concerns and bureaucracy are the primary reasons President Bashar al-Assad’s government missed Tuesday’s deadline.
The international mission is waiting for Syria’s most dangerous chemicals to be transported to the port in Latakia.
The vessels left Limassol on Saturday but turned back on Tuesday after the hazardous containers failed to arrive for collection in Latakia.
A spokesman for the Norwegian armed forces told the Voice of America radio station that two container vessels, along with warship escorts, had been deployed to carry the toxic cargo for the destruction process under international supervision.
