Syria Blamed for Missed Chemical Weapons Deadline

The Obama administration has called on the Syrian government to honor a deal to dispose of its chemical weapons cache, as its Dec. 31 deadline slips by unmet.

“U.S. officials conceded that a Tuesday deadline for ridding Syria of hundreds of tons of liquid poisons would not be met, citing stalled progress in transporting the chemicals across war-ravaged countryside to ships that will carry them out of the region. But the officials insisted that the overall effort to destroy President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arsenal was on track,” writes the Washington Post.

“‘We continue to make progress, which has been the important part,’ State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. ‘It was always an ambitious timeline, but we are still operating on the June 30 timeline for the complete destruction.’”

U.N. Seeks Access to Palestinians Starving in Syria

The Daily Star reports that the U.N. has appealed to the Assad government for access to a Palestinian area of Damascus where aid has been blocked and starvation and malnutrition are rapidly setting in.

“A spokesperson from the opposition Syrian National Coalition told the Daily Star that what was happening in Yarmouk was a deliberate regime policy of starvation.

“’The use of food as a tool of war is not only abhorrent, but is also a violation of international law … It’s important to remember that the use of this war tactic hurts those who are most vulnerable: children, the elderly and the sick. This only further emphasizes the criminality and evil of the Assad regime.’

She added that ‘while the international community is waiting for signs of good intentions from the Assad regime before Geneva II,  Assad’s [regime] continues its deadly plan of besieging cities in its attempt to punish the revolution’s social base and put pressure on the revolutionary forces before negotiations.’”

Lebanese Army Fires on Syrian Aircraft for First Time

The AFP reports from Baalbek that the Lebanese army fired on Syrian helicopters as they carried out a raid on Lebanese territory, a significant escalation in cross-border tensions.

“It was the first time the Lebanese army has responded to Syrian attacks on its territory, which have multiplied as the conflict in its eastern neighbor has intensified,” the wire reports.

“In accordance with the orders of the army command, anti-aircraft guns were fired in the direction of Syrian helicopters that bombed Khirbet Dawud near Arsal,” which is near the Syrian border.

“The Lebanese army has in the past threatened to respond to cross-border fire from Syria but has not previously done so. On June 12, it issued a rare warning to the Syrian government, saying it would respond “immediately” to any new “violation” after a raid by the army on the Arsal area, a hub of support for the rebels, which is also home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. But it had not previously carried out its threat, despite repeated spill-overs from the fighting over the border.”

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team:

NY Times: Beyond Camps, Aiding Syrians is Even Harder

AFP: Syria Says Peace Meet Invites Unsent, Blames Opposition

Deutsche Welle: Syria Needs a Truce

Al Monitor: Syrian Interim Government Hopes to Open Offices in Syria