Russia's Encounter With Chemical Weapons

On Tuesday members of the global chemical weapons watchdog rejected a Russian-led push to undercut new powers that allow the agency to shift blame for the use of banned toxic munitions in Syria. The full membership of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons voted 99 to 27 in favor of passing an increased budget for 2019, which will partly fund the Western-backed new powers, and rejected proposals by Russia and Iran aimed at blocking it.