France warns Syria over delays on WMD dismantling

France on Tuesday warned Syria that it would he held to account for delays in the dismantling process of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) stockpiles and systems and told Damascus the issue could be brought before the UN Security Council if it is not resolved.The dismantling and shipment abroad for destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles was agreed with the Syrian regime last fall and is being carried out under international supervision. However, some delays in getting stockpiles to Lattakia for shipment have been reported by the Holland-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW started overseeing shipments of chemical weapons and materials out of Syria in January and the operation to remove all weapons for destruction is to be completed by June 30.But there are signs that the initial good momentum in the operation has slowed, prompting calls for Syria to speed up its cooperation.France wants Syria "to respect all its international obligations" relative to the chemical weapons deal that was brokered by Russia and the United States late last year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said here Tuesday.Syria "must get the weapons out of Syria," he added, adding that France will accept "no pretext" for not maintaining the deadlines agreed to.Separately, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius issued "a warning" to Syria over the WMD delays and he told "France Info" radio that the Syrian delays were not acceptable and were a source of concern.Syria "is accountable for delays," spokesman Nadal remarked in a briefing, warning that failure to comply with the agreement could mean a return to the UN Security Council to take action for any "violations." But Russia would be unlikely to back UN action against Damascus and, as it has three times in the past, would certainly use its veto to block Security Council measures against its long-time ally. Last weekend, US Secretary-of-State John Kerry called on Russia to pressure Syria on the chemical weapons operation and said only a small percentage of weapons had so far been dealt with.