Obama congratulates chemical watchdog on Nobel Prize

US President Barack Obama Friday congratulated the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and he expressed support for joint UN-OPCW mission for destruction of Syria's chemical toxic arsenal. In a statement released by the press secretary, President Obama said the prize reinforced the international community’s commitment to the international prohibition against the use of chemical weapons. Praising the global chemical weapons watchdog, the statement said, "Today’s award recognizes that commitment, and reinforces the trust and confidence the world has placed in the OPCW, Director-General Ahmed Uzumcu, and the courageous OPCW experts and inspectors taking on the unprecedented challenge of eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program." The statement added that the US strongly supported the OPCW, including its joint work with the UN, and called on all nations to work to bring to an end the conflict that has cost the lives of more than 100,000 Syrians, and to support the OPCW’s efforts in the hope that future generations can live in a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.