Libya to destroy 3,300 bombs designed to carry chemical weapons

[rodbarnett]

Libya was to begin destroying around 3,300 bombs on Friday intended as vehicles for chemical weapons, the world's chemical weapons watchdog said.

Inspectors from the Hague-based Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons were monitoring the disarmament. It followed a pledge made by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in December, after months of secret talks with the United States and Britain, that his country would give up its weapons of mass destruction programmes. The OPCW said it couldn't say more about the nature of the munitions other than that they were "intended for delivery" of chemical weapons.

OPCW director Rogelio Pfirter said in a statement the destruction of the bombs "is a very positive step and a confirmation of Libya's intention to actually get rid of prohibited weapons." Inspectors from the OPCW began working with Libyan officials earlier this month to bring the country into compliance with the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention prohibiting chemical weapons, which the OPCW oversees.

The organization said on Friday that Libya submitted a provisional declaration of its programmes on February 20 and a final declaration is expected by March 5.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_589574,00050006.htm