USA: Destroyed the last of its chemical weapons – It took four years to “dissolve” a 500-ton stockpile

All declared chemical weapons in the world have now been destroyed, says the OPCW

The principles of USA they destroyed their last reserves chemical weaponsthe American president announced yesterday Friday (7/7). Joe Bidencompleting the process that had begun in 1997, with the signing of the global convention to ban these extremely lethal weapons.

“For over 30 years, the US has worked tirelessly to eliminate its stockpile of chemical weapons [τους]. Today, I am proud to announce that the U.S. has safely destroyed the last munition in that stockpile—bringing us closer to a world free of the horrors of chemical weapons.”Mr. Biden emphasized in the press release released by his services.

All other states parties to the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention had already destroyed their stockpiles, Fernando Arias, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), announced in May.

Only the US remained to destroy its own stockpile, he had added, explaining that “70,000 tons of the world’s most dangerous poisons” had been eliminated under the watch of the institution he leads..

Along with the announcement of the American presidency, the baron of the Republicans in the Senate Mitch McConnell announced yesterday Friday that The US military’s Blue Grass chemical weapons depot in Kentucky recently completed the process of destroying about 500 tons of deadly chemical agents, a four-year mission.

These were the last chemical weapons in the US military’s stockpile.

“Although the use of these deadly agents will continue to mar history forever, our country has finally fulfilled its promise to rid itself of this scourge,” Mr. McConnell said, among other things, after noting that chemical weapons were used ” in some of the most horrific episodes in terms of loss of life.”

In his own announcement, US President Biden urged all countries that have not already done so to sign the 1997 convention so that “the global ban on chemical weapons can reach its full potential”.

Without failing to emphasize that “Russia and Syria must return to compliance with the Convention and admit that they have undeclared programs, which were used to commit shameful atrocities and attacks.”

All declared chemical weapons in the world ‘irreversibly destroyed’

Meanwhile, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced that all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons had been “irreversibly destroyed”.

“Ending the destruction of all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons is an important step”Fernando Arias, the general director of the OPCW, underlined in the announcement made public by his services.

The Hague-based organization assured that this US measure, “of the last state it held” declared stockpiles, means that “all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons have been verified to have been irreversibly destroyed”.

But recent cases of chemical weapons use indicate the world must remain vigilant, warned the OPCW, which has received a Nobel Peace Prize.

In recent years, the agency has accused Syria of carrying out chemical weapons attacks during the country’s 2011 civil war; it has also investigated the use of a Soviet-designed nerve agent against a former Russian spy in Britain and opposition figure Alexei Navalny in Russia.

“Recent uses and threats to use toxic chemicals as weapons show that preventing their recurrence will remain a priority.” for the OPCW, Mr. Arias summarized.