Disputes between Russia and the United States over funding and lucrative contracts are hampering an international effort to destroy the world’s largest chemical weapons arsenal, experts said Wednesday. With a commitment to destroy 44,000 tons of chemical weapons by 2012, Russia has eagerly courted foreign funding. More than 20 countries – including members of the Group of Eight – have pledged money for the program, which has been beset by shortfalls. Western countries have spent hundreds of millions of dollars but only a fraction of that money has been channeled through the Russian government with most going directly to contractors – the vast majority of them non-Russian.Full Story