Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Syria
June 23, 2014

The Syrian government’s handover earlier today of the final tranche of its declared chemical stockpiles marks an important milestone in the effort to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program. The United States and our international partners will now work to destroy these materials so they never again pose a threat to the Syrian people or America’s allies in the region – an outcome that was hard to imagine a year ago. I want to commend the U.S. and allied personnel who have been, and will continue to be, involved in this important and painstaking work.