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By Libya Herald reporters.
Tunis, 20 August 2016:
A Danish vessel will transport the last of Libya’s stockpile chemical weapons for safe destruction outside the country.
In an unanimous vote, the Danish parliament yesterday agreed to play what Danish foreign minister Kristian Jensen described as a leading role in removing the remaining chemical weapons.
Three years ago Denmark, along with Norway and Finland, was involved in a more extensive operation to ship out chemical weapons declared by the Syrian government of Bashar Assad.
On the face of it, the transport of the remains of Qaddafi’s toxic arsenal should be more straightforward since all that is thought to remain, are the Category 2 precursor agents not the poisonous chemicals themselves. However, it is known that the Libyan stockpiles were badly stored and containers had deteriorated.
No details have been given of the operation to move the 850 tons of precursor agents from the main storage site and Ruwagha and a bunker at Tarhuna. However it may begin soon.
“The Danish maritime contribution will shortly be ready to commence the operation” said Jensen, “in coordination with the The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and allied partner countries”.
A month ago, the United Nations Security Council authorised member states to help evacuate and destroy the last of the chemical weapons.
It was widely assumed that the job would not be taken on by the Americans, British, French nor the Italians.
Libya is a signatory to the treaty banning chemical weapons.
