International monitors could begin inspecting Syria’s chemical weapons as soon as Tuesday after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday night that demands their eradication.
The unanimous vote by the 15-member Security Council follows several weeks of tough negotiations between the US and Russia, and presents a rare diplomatic breakthrough at the UN over Syria. However, it stops short of threatening automatic penalties if the Syrian regime fails to hand over its chemical weapons.
Under the adoption of the new resolution, Syria now faces a legal obligation to give up its chemical weapons, but the UN must pass a second resolution if it is to enforce any of the possible penalties, which include sanctions or military force.