Libya Destroys Last Stockpile of Gaddafi's Chemical Weapons

Libya said it has destroyed the last stockpile of chemical weapons inherited from the regime of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The country's Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz said the government has eliminated the chemical arsenal which includes bombs and mustard gas-filled artillery shells, under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

"Libya has become totally free of usable chemical weapons that might present a potential threat to the security of local communities, the environment and neighbouring areas,"

Abdelaziz said in a ceremony to mark the occasion in Libyan capital Tripoli.
The event was attended by the chief of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Ahmet Uzumcu.

Abdelaziz went on: "This achievement would not have been possible in such a short time, without concerted efforts within an international partnership, or without the logistical support and the technical assistance from Canada, Germany and the USA, which provided the opportunity to use very advanced, safe and reliable technology."