THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Member states of the global chemical weapons watchdog have suspended Syria’s voting rights at the organization as a punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas by Damascus. The vote Wednesday marked the first time a member state of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been hit with such a sanction. A group of 46 nations called for the step at the organization’s annual meeting of member states. Behind the scenes diplomatic efforts to reach consensus on the proposal failed. That led to a vote at which 87 nations voted in favor of suspending Syria’s rights and 15 voted against. In a tweet, the British delegation to the meeting called the decision a “Vital step to maintain credibility of Chemical Weapons Convention.”
