US seeks quick proof Syria ready to abandon chemical weapons

The United States will insist that Syria take rapid steps to show it is serious about abandoning its vast chemical arsenal, senior US officials said, as Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Geneva on Thursday for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Among the first steps Washington wants, one US official said, is for the government of Bashar Assad to quickly make a complete, public declaration of its chemical weapons stockpiles as a prelude to inspecting and neutralizing them.  (Reuters)