Syria starts moving remaining chemical weapons, Pentagon says

Syria is starting to relinquish the remaining stockpile of materials from its chemical weapons arsenal after months of delay it blamed on security concerns, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. 

"It is starting to be moved as we speak," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.

The news followed an announcement by the joint mission of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemicals that Syria had destroyed its entire declared stockpile of isopropanol, a precursor for producing sarin nerve gas.

"Now 7.2 percent of Syria's chemical weapons material remains in country and awaits swift removal for onward destruction. The Joint Mission urges the Syrian authorities to undertake this task as soon as possible," the U.N.-OPCW mission said in a statement.

Syria has promised to hand over or destroy its entire chemical weapons arsenal although it still possesses a significant amount of its declared chemical stocks and has not yet destroyed a dozen production and storage facilities.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces had taken steps to prepare some of its remaining chemicals for transport.