New push to scrap chemical weapons

A treaty verification body called on Friday on 12 nations including Syria, Iraq and Israel to join a landmark pact for destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made the appeal ahead of a review conference next week.

So far 183 countries have ratified the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention banning the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons but more states need to join.