Global Security Newswire

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed on Wednesday that a cache of chemical warfare materials recently seized by Libyan opposition rebels had been previously declared by the now-deposed regime of Muammar Qadhafi (see GSN, Sept. 28).

The Hague, Netherlands-based organization that oversees implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention said in a press release it had no information from sources in Libya regarding any finds of toxic agents that had not been declared.

"It is important for the OPCW that these stockpiles are secured and misuse is prevented, and ensuring this remains a national responsibility under the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention," OPCW Director General Ahmet Üzümcü said in provided remarks. "From this perspective we welcome the fact that Libyan authorities are taking necessary measures to secure the bunkers."

On Monday, U.N. Undersecretary General Lynn Pascoe stated that chemical weapons materials discovered by Transitional National Council fighters at a military depot some 435 miles to the southeast of the nation's capital had not previously been declared.

Prior to the start of the Libyan rebellion in February, the Qadhafi regime had eliminated 40 percent of its chemical weapons precursor materials and 55 percent of its declared mustard agent, in addition to in excess of 3,500 aerial munitions that could have been used to disperse the lethal chemicals, the OPCW release states.

Organization officials monitoring destruction of the materials were withdrawn from the North African state shortly before the uprising began. The chemicals that have yet to be destroyed -- roughly 9 metric tons of blister agent and in excess of 800 metric tons of precursor materials -- are still in storage at the military depot.

The agency said it was paying intense attention to events in Libya and stood ready to redeploy personnel to the nation as soon as the situation would allow. After incineration work begins again, it should only take a month to eliminate the mustard agent (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons release, Sept. 28).