Syria - live updates

While Kerry and Lavrov are meeting in Geneva to hammer out a deal to rid Syria of toxic chemical munitions, there is a great deal of anticipation here in NY about the U.N. chemical weapons investigators' upcoming report. According to French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud it's tentatively coming out on Monday. According to diplomats following the investigation, the U.N. experts, led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom, will confirm the U.S. assessment about an Aug. 21 chemical attack on Damascus suburbs that killed over 1,400 people -- namely that sarin gas was used. www.reuters.com

Due to limitations on Sellstrom's mandate, the report will not explicitly blame anyone for the Aug. 21 attack. But Western diplomats said that the facts in the report would likely hint at Syrian government culpability. (Syria's government blames the rebels for the Aug. 21 chemical attack.)

Meanwhile, Syria has handed over a document to the U.N. that will enable Damascus to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the global anti-chemical weapons treaty (Syria is one of only seven nations that haven't signed it). Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian television that the document would arrive in a few days, but U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said they got it this morning. It is currently being translated. www.trust.org

A few days ago, Syria wouldn't even admit to having chemical weapons. Now it appears to be rushing to give up its poison gas arsenal under threat of possible U.S. air strikes to deter it from deploying such weapons...