Security Concerns Could Delay Transfer of Syria's Chemical Weapons

Road to port city of Latakia not safe

The head of the mission charged with destroying Syria's chemical weapons said Wednesday that preparations are on track to move the most dangerous chemical agents from sites in the war-torn country to the port of Latakia, but there are serious security issues on key roads.

Sigrid Kaag told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council that "there are factors beyond our control" which could affect the ambitious schedule to destroy Syria's entire chemical weapons program by mid-2014.

As an example, she said, bad security on the highway connecting Damascus and the northern city of Homs, which is a key artery en route to Latakia, forced her to fly to Beirut and then to Latakia by helicopter for a meeting in recent days.