NEWS: Libya cops to mustard gas stockpiles

Libya acknowledged stockpiling 44,000 pounds of mustard gas and disclosed the location of a production plant in a declaration submitted Friday to the world's chemical weapons watchdog. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi announced in December that his government would dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs.

CNN


Libyan Col. Mohamed Abu Al Huda handed over 14 file cartons disclosing Libya's chemical weapons programs to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said general director Rogelio Pfirter.

Libya also declared thousands of tons of precursors that could be used to make sarin nerve gas, and two storage facilities, Pfirter said. The production and storage facilities were near Tripoli and in the south of the country, Pfirter said.

With the Bush Adminstration so high on the abolishment of other countries Weapons of Mass Destruction, Libya took a huge leap forward with todays proclamation. Tensions have been rising over North Korea and thier 'stockpiles' of WMD's, but there has been no progress in recent talks. Libya suprised the world by coming forward, 'without pressure', to abandon any type of WMD programs. Is this a sign of good faith by Mr. Gadhafi, or is there an underlying truth to this situation? My instincts suggest the latter. In no way has the United States publicly threatened Libya to disarm, nor have they been made a priority to disarm.



[Edited on 5-3-2004 by TrickmastertricK]

I really am baffled at these moves by Libya, I jut have a hard time believing they could make such a 180 degree turnaround...I hope they mean everything they said, and they appear to of meant it....which is good.

Don't understand why all of the sudden they would just give them up..

Originally posted by SwampFox
Don't understand why all of the sudden they would just give them up..

Make the public of the world see that they are nto wanting WMD or a program to amke them, and thent he Bush government cant as easily justify a war to invade Libya or impose sanctions on them like theya re doing to Iran. Int he meantime...Libya can of course store away some mustard gas, or other WMD somewhere in their country out of sight of other countries prying eyes.

Ah, I guess Bush was pressuring them a while ago about it, I forgot about that.

Bush is a blank head he had little to do with it
the libions leader just won't to good thing to come to them

It really just makes a lot of sense from a political standpoint. USA's on the warpath, looking to snuff any country with brown people, WMD, and links to terrorism. As it stood, Libya had lots of all 3. Qhadafi (sp?) saw Saddam dragged from his hole looking like a bum, with his rule irrevocably ended. He did not want to end up like that! Basically, the options were: keep up the terrorism and WMD and wind up like that, or come clean and reap the rewards of (being the first!) doing so. The choice was a no-brainer. It sets a great example, really. We've had incredibly sucky relations with Libya for over 25 years now...and it did them no good. So they 'turn over a new leaf', throw open all the doors to the WMD, and throw all their WMD equipment on the first plane out of there. Normalization of relations with the US follows, and thereafter come all the good 'ol US greenbacks from the government, and tourism. It's a win-win situation for them, and for us really. I think it's great.