As diplomats wrangled over competing plans for securing Syria's chemical weapons, arms-control experts warned Tuesday of the formidable challenges involved in carrying out such a complex and risky operation in the midst of a raging civil war.
U.N. teams dispatched to Syria for the mission would be attempting something new: finding and safeguarding a long-hidden arsenal in a country that has long stood outside key international arms-control agreements, all while exposed to crossfire from Syria's warring factions.
Although the mission might be worth the risks, experts say, it would be costly and time-consuming, especially if the goal includes the physical destruction of Syria's thousands of chemical warheads as well as hundreds of tons of liquid toxins kept in bulk storage throughout the country.