Syrian President Bashar Assad during an interview with a German newspaper in Damascus, on June 17, 2013.
An international watchdog group could begin inspecting Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons as early as Tuesday, according to a draft agreement obtained by Reuters and other news organizations.
The 41-member executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will vote Friday on the request to inspect and destroy a suspected 1,000 tons of sarin, mustard and other toxic gases.
The looming inspections come as the United Nations Security Council is nearing approval on a resolution to require Syria to relinquish its chemical weapons, though not under the threat of military force.